Cowboys and Indians
by The Deej
Summary: Klaus and Caroline are childhood friends, but circumstances in Klaus' young life turn him and his family to a life of crime causing them to become the most feared Outlaws in the West. However, the years haven't caused Klaus to forget Caroline or caused Caroline to forget the boy she's always cared for, no matter how ruthless he's become. Rated M for language and sexual situations.
1. Prologue

**Hello readers! This is going to be my attempt at a full blown Wild West storyline. Cowboys, Indians, railroad thieves, family strife, prisoners...the whole shebang. Thanks and praise and all kinds of feels go out to Angel (Klarolinefeels) for being so helpful with my first little blurb. **

**So hold on to your saddles, Folks, this is gonna be fun! Yeeeehaaaaaw! **

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**Prologue**

**West of the Mississippi 1846**

"Wait! I want to come!"

The little blonde child ran with all her might, her hands gripping her skirt and yanking it high to keep from tripping over the rocks and underbrush of the desert forest. Her blonde curls danced in the wind and her cheeks were pink with exhaustion. They didn't want her to come but she was persistent about joining in on the fun.

"Caroline, stay home," the eldest Mikealson boy said.

"No, please. I want to come with," she took advantage of their momentary pause to catch up with them.

"It's too dangerous, now go home and find Rebekah. I'm sure you_ girls_ can find something better to do." Kol chuckled and looked at his older brothers, waiting for their approval of his demeaning comment.

Caroline let go of her skirt and her hands balled in to little fists. Rebekah Mikaelson was no friend of hers. She was always too busy playing with her dolls and brushing her hair. She never got dirty. Never wanted to climb trees with her or start their own adventures together. Even at her young age she knew there would be plenty of time to grow up and do womanly things, but today was not that day. She stomped toward the boy and pushed him. "I am _not_ like Rebekah."

Kol stumbled back and his feet came out from under him as he tripped on a log and landed firmly on his rear end. Caroline's hand covered her mouth in surprise, not realizing her own strength.

The rest of the boys hooted and hollered at their brother as Kol picked up his hat and dusted off his pants, clearly embarrassed. "She caught me off guard," he grumbled.

Caroline lifted her chin, proud of her accomplishment, when she felt a hand pat her on the shoulder. "I think she's proved herself. Come on Caroline, you can come with."

In that moment, Caroline was happy for the desert heat, as it masked the pink flush that ran up her neck and painted her cheeks. She turned to look at her supporter and smiled. She always wanted to play with the boys, jealous that they were allowed to climb trees, get dirty and fight and Klaus was the best at all three. One time he reached all the way to the top of the largest tree in town. She was so scared for him but in complete awe at how graceful he looked jumping from one branch to the next. That day she decided she would do whatever it took to gain his approval. If she knew that all it took was to best his brother Kol, then she would've pushed the obnoxious boy a long time ago.

That was the first day of many adventures she would have with the Mikealson boys. Her childhood from then on was filled with creek jumping, tree climbing, and her favorite, Cowboys and Indians. She didn't mind that they always made her the hostage. Kol or Elijah would capture her and Klaus would always rescue her. She liked being rescued by him.

She would call out for help and pretend to struggle against the ropes. Kol and Elijah would circle round her with their handmade tomahawks in the air. Dancing and bringing their hands to their mouths and chanting a familiar Indian chant. Klaus would fight them off and untie her from the tree. He would grasp her hand and they would run away together, narrowly escaping the hands of the savage Indians every time. Yes, she would be the hostage as many times as they would want her to be.

The last time they played Cowboys and Indians, Caroline was nearly 10, and Klaus was 11. Elijah rarely came to play anymore, his father making him take on more of the household responsibilities, and Caroline knew it was only a matter of time before he made Klaus do the same.

The boys rarely spoke of their father, but when they did they gave the impression that he was not a gentle man. They always made sure to leave promptly at dusk, gathering their things and scurrying home before dark. More than one time Klaus showed up with his brothers and a fresh bruise or scratch would be on his face. The first time it happened she looked at the boys and asked what happened. Obviously they had played a little too rough and Klaus got caught in the crossfire. When they remained silent and didn't look her in the eye, she had a feeling his brothers had nothing to do with it.

It wasn't only the family's peculiar reaction to her questions but she had heard things around town. Mr. Mikaelson was a wealthy man that owned most of the land in their small town, including some of the buildings, and when people spoke of him it was always in a hushed whisper, as if their silent conversation would some how drift through the wind and he would overhear. She had even heard her parents speak of him, whispering phrases like, "His demons will catch up to him." and "What a scoundrel!"

The first time she had seen him, however, was when she and her mother went to the local grocers to pick up their weekly supplies. Her mother was in mid conversation with Mr. Fell, when the bell at the front entrance dinged and the conversation halted immediately. He was there to collect Mr. Fell's monthly rent and with a small smile and an "Excuse me," he walked to the back of the counter to oblige. She watched the scene carefully, wanting to understand a little bit more about the man that scared her friends so much.

Mr. Fell's voice was shaky as he opened the small safe behind the counter. "It's all right here, Mr. Mikaelson. Ev- every last penny."

"Thank you, Logan." He reached out to grab the small coin purse that was being offered to him. "Now I shouldn't have to remind you that this can never happen again. If you're late on your rent again, there will be consequences." He said the words calm but there was a darkness in the way his voice rumbled through the small store. Caroline was frightened, and she grasped her mother's hand and hid her face when the man finally turned and tipped his hat at my mother, "Mrs. Forbes."

"Mr. Mikaelson," was all Caroline heard her mother say before she heard the bell chime again. She peeked from her mother's skirt to be certain he was gone before looking up at her mother who only smiled down at her. "Come Caroline, let's go home."

She knew from that moment on why the boys always did as they were told.

Caroline was suddenly yanked in a new direction. Klaus and her raced away from the Indian screams and hid in one of their many hiding spots behind a large boulder. They crouched down to their knees and waited for their captures to find them. When and if they did they would drag Caroline back to the tree to start the game over again. But, if they could find their way back to the village and steal the Chief's headdress, then they would win the game. She looked at Klaus and giggled, her hand went to her mouth to capture the sound and whispered, "They'll never find us here."

"Yeah. We haven't hid in this spot in a long time," Klaus said with excitement.

"Where should we go next if they happen upon us?"

Klaus looked around his shoulder and reached for a nearby branch. He brought the stick to the earth and began to draw a map of the area. "Well we're right here." He drew a large circle and two little exes to indicate their whereabouts. "The creek is here. The Indian village is here," squiggles and A-shaped tepees were now on the map. Caroline crouched down and studied it.

"They'll look here first," she said and pointed in the area their cave was. Klaus drew another circle.

"So if they go that way then we should go this way," he drew an arrow toward their escape, leaning forward as he did so. Caroline's eyes fluttered up and noticed him looking at her. He never looked at her that way before, he seemed nervous and a little sad.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"Nothin'," he said and dropped his eyes back down to the makeshift map.

Caroline eyed him suspiciously. She knew something was wrong. "Is it...is it your Father?"

He didn't have to answer, she knew that man had done something to him, but with no visible bruises she wasn't sure of what. "Did he hurt you again?" She gulped.

"No." He said quickly. She had never been so bold as to ask him directly about his relationship with his father. He just shook his head again, "I don't want to talk about it." He grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction of the prize.

The rest of that day was a blur to Caroline. They had bested Elijah and Kol and found the reward, she remembered that much, but she couldn't shake the fact that she knew something was bothering Klaus. When they had gathered their things and were walking back to town, she tried again, "Klaus, what's wrong?"

He stopped and turned to face her. He kept his eyes downcast and kicked the dirt in front of him, he said the next words so quickly that Caroline almost didn't register, "I can't play with you anymore!"

Caroline's head shot up and searched his face for any trace of amusement. He was joking. He always joked with her. When she didn't find what she was looking for she shook her head and tilted it in confusion. "Why?"

"I…I'm leaving." He cast his eyes down again and drew circles in the dirt with his foot.

"What do you mean, you're leaving?" Caroline's heart began to race with panic.

"I'm not sure. Pa just told us that we have to go to New York. I heard something about Boarding school," he said with a shrug. "Rebekah, Elijah and Kol have to come too."

Caroline shook her head as a single tear rolled down her cheek, leaving a white streak as it cleansed the dirt from her face. Klaus was always annoyed when Caroline cried so she hurried to wipe the tear away and put on a brave face. "When?"

"Tomorrow."

So soon, she thought but didn't say. She was at a loss for words. She and Klaus had been the best of friends, if it wasn't for him and his brothers, she never would've had the adventures she dreamed about having.

They walked in silence the rest of the way back to town, hands clasped together and the familiar sound of crickets echoing through the desert night. They reached the spot where they always said their goodbyes, and Caroline felt the tears prick at her eyes once more. "Here," Klaus said and shot his hand out in front of her. She opened her palm and he dropped a small silver bracelet in to it. "I found this and I want you to have it."

She glanced down at the small token and smiled. It wasn't anything fancy, just a simple silver string with a tiny clasp. She slipped it on her wrist and held it out for them both to admire it. "Th-thank you," she whimpered.

"I just wanted you to have something to remember me," he said shyly.

"It's really pretty." She didn't want to linger there any longer than she needed to, she didn't want him to see her cry. She quickly rose up on her tippy toes and brushed her lips lightly against his. "I'll miss you," she simply said and drew up her skirt and raced for home. It wasn't until she was at a safe distance that she finally let the tears flow freely.

Klaus watched her go. His hands came to his mouth and he smiled at the thought of her lips on his. He didn't know if he'll ever see her again, but he knew he would never forget her.

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	2. All the Pretty Horses

**Wow! Thanks for all the follows and reviews! I'm happy y'all like what I've written so far.  
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**Special shout outs to my Tumblr ladies, Mimi (klaushastherightequipment) and Angel, (Klarolinefeels) for helping a girl out!  
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**As always, I would love your reviews at the end.  
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**Chapter 1: All the Pretty Horses**

**West of the Mississippi 1856**

The west was not for the faint of heart. It was a harsh land with little vegetation, unbearable winters and scorching summers. Only during the brief months of fall did the people of Mystic Haven find new hope as they stored up on supplies for their families and braced themselves for the impending snowfall.

They grew some crops, burying the seeds deep into the freshly toiled soil in order to shield it from the frozen earth. Even then, it was never a definite that they would make it through the winter, the snow needed to melt and the earth thawed in order for the small vegetation to push its way to the surface. They made sure to have plenty of feed for their animals, taking care to keep their horses especially well fed since they would be the only suitable transportation in the upcoming months.

Every year, since Caroline was little, she watched the town grow stronger and stronger. Yes, some were lost to famine or disease, but with each new year the people learned how to ration their food and build sturdier homes, and with the west expanding their small town began to expand too.

The town council was in works to begin building a new railway station in the spring. This impending station would bring needed employment for the men and they would no longer have to wait for the wagons to arrive with their monthly supplies. They would be able to receive them weekly once the locomotive was up and running.

Caroline's father had a large hand in making the railroad a reality. He was the Sheriff, and the head of the Council, and a true leader of their tiny town. In a world where even the lawmen were crooked, he remained loyal to his people. He brought justice to those who harmed and protected those in need.

On a clear September day, Caroline awoke to a familiar sound beckoning her to her window. Her horse Angel was nibbling the flower beds on her window sill, huffing and puffing to welcome her to the day.

"Angel, it's too early," she said and rolled over to shield her eyes from the invasive sunshine. This did not deter the animal from being any less disruptive. "Fine!" Caroline said with a huff, "you win! How did you even get out of your stable, anyway?"

He was a magician, that's how. A warlock of horses.

Caroline drug herself in to the kitchen where she found her mother, happily cooking over the stove and whistling a cheerful tune.

In her prime, Elizabeth Forbes was every young man's ideal mate. She was beautiful with her golden hair and bright eyes, it didn't hurt that she was also the daughter of a very wealthy proprietor, bringing stature to any man that obtained her hand in marriage. Bill Forbes was not the wealthiest of suitors, he had no family of his own, but his kind and dutiful heart won Elizabeth over. She left her family and followed him out west, to start a new life together.

"You're in a good mood," Caroline said and kissed her mother on the cheek.

"I have every right to be! My family is healthy, we have plenty of supplies for the winter, and your father is on his way to town to finalize the remaining paperwork for the new railroad."

"Oh that's wonderful!" Caroline said and scooped herself a small bowl of porridge.

"Which reminds me," Elizabeth began, "I'm glad you're finally awake, your father forgot this and I need you to ride in to town to give it to him."

She handed Caroline a small envelope. "What is it?"

"Just more paperwork, will you make sure it gets to him?"

"Of course." Caroline placed the envelope in her small handbag before returning to her breakfast.

"Oh could you swing by Fell's and get a pound of flour, and the bank as well, I need to send a telegram to your grandfather."

Caroline just nodded her head before retreating to her room to get dressed. Her family could afford for her to look more presentable, but she was never one to fuss over what she wore. She chose a plain skirt with small pink primroses and a cream cotton blouse. She pinned her hair in a loose bun at the nape of her neck, giving the illusion that she put more effort in then she actually did. Jewelry was never something she adorned, save a simple silver bracelet that she never removed.

It was a silly gesture between two small children, but it reminded her of a time when she didn't have a care in the world. She could get dirty, swing from tree branches and just be herself. The memory of the Mikaelson boys never truly left. Their features began to smudge with time, the details of their faces becoming less clear, but the one thing that always remained was _his_ eyes. They were a magnificent blue with a hint of green around the irises, and she imagined that they were the color of the sea.

She sometimes wondered what ever happened to him. After their final day together she never saw him again, or even heard of his whereabouts. It was as if the Mikaelson family were ghosts of this town, leaving little behind to remember them by, besides a deserted home and a few run down businesses. Most of the town sighed with relief when Mr. Mikaelson sold his property or just gave it away. It was surprisingly uncharacteristic of the man, even Caroline, who was so young, found it odd that a man who was so ruthless would just give away the things that he owned.

But, as much as she missed the company of his sons, she grew to appreciate the fact that they were gone. The town thrived and expanded, no longer living in fear of the tyrant.

Caroline gathered her things and made her way to find Angel. He was standing under a large oak tree, peeling the bark off and chewing contentedly. "There you are," she said and approached the horse with a smile. He stood there obligingly, allowing her to brush the dirt and loose hair away from his body. She checked his hooves to be sure his shoes were still in working condition, before throwing the saddle on his back and anchoring it to his sinewy form. She slipped the bit between his teeth, tossed the reins around his neck and stepped in to the stir-up to mount her trusty steed.

Nothing made her happier than being on that horse. He was still a little green at the young age of 5, but he was disciplined and trusted her, as she trusted him. He had a harnessed power, and she knew that if she allowed him to he would race her toward the horizon fast and free without a care in the world. But today he would need to be alright with just heading toward town.

"I know, buddy, I'd rather run free today too," she said as she stroked his neck.

Angel whinnied and shook his head before taking a few hot footed steps in the direction of town. "I promise, just as soon as I can manage, we'll go for a nice long ride."

When they finally reached town, Caroline noticed her father's horse tethered outside the Sheriff's station. She would run the small errands that her mother requested before delivering the forgotten envelope.

Some time later she was waving her thanks to Mr. Fell and hitching the newly purchased flour sack to Angel's back. He neighed and pranced in place, annoyed with the extra burden he'd have to carry. "Hush now, it's not that heavy," Caroline scolded and stroked his nose and muzzle. She knew exactly what she needed to do to make it up to him and she reached in her pocket and withdrew a shiny red apple and suddenly all was right in the world again for Angel.

Next stop was the bank. She crossed the dusty street and up the steps, passing by the local bulletin board. This was the place they posted town events, job openings, and any other important information that needed to be shared. At the very end of the board, she noticed the Wanted posters. She was always intrigued by the black and white sketches of people she would never meet.

There were some familiar faces, The Salvatore Brothers were among them. Saint Stefan and Damon "The Face" Salvatore grimaced at her. She had heard stories of them wreaking havoc in the North. They said to not be fooled by the Saint title, that indeed there was nothing saintly about the younger brother. The older brother was a bit more aloof, she never quite understood why they called him "Face", perhaps it was because he was handsome but she had a hard time seeing his allure in this particular sketch of him. Stefan had a bounty of $200 while Damon had one of $100 but if brought in together the reward was four.

She continued down the line, and saw another man with shoulder length hair, a nicely groomed handle bar mustache, and a bowler hat. All it said was "Wanted: The Gentleman - $300 Reward".

Wow, she thought. I wonder what he did to deserve such a hefty reward? She stared at the pictures a little longer, trying to memorize the men's faces, one should always be on guard no matter how outlandish a thought it was that she would ever cross paths with these men.

"Dangerous men," someone said beside her.

Caroline jumped and swung her head around toward the unfamiliar voice. She smiled gingerly at the stranger. "Yes, I suppose they are," she said.

"I heard this one prays over his victims after he brutally murders them," he offered and pointed at the Saint. "A guilty conscience I suppose," he jeered.

"And this is his brother, yes?" She pointed at the next poster. The stranger nodded. "And, do you know who this man is, "The Gentleman"? He looks far too refined to have such a hefty reward on his head." She peered closer at the poster, as if a distant memory was scurrying its way to the surface.

"No one really knows," was all he said. "However, I can tell you that he runs with, well actually all three of these boys run in the same Gang."

"And what Gang would that be?" Caroline's curiosity was getting the better of her.

"The Demon Dogs," he said, "Have you heard of them?"

Caroline had definitely heard of them, being the Sheriff's daughter she was always in the know when it came to the threatening criminals of the area. They were a ruthless group of men, moving from town to town, robbing people of their livelihood and leaving a wake of victims in their path. They kept their identities secret, however, it seemed these three individuals have had a run in with the law. Hence, the Wanted posters.

"And how do you know that they run with that gang?"

"Where I come from, it's a known fact. I've even witnessed one of their robberies."

Caroline was shocked by this information. The Demon Dogs had always been a phantom, something to spook the locals with their terrifying personae, no one in her world had actually seen them. She always thought herself brave, and imagined never backing down to such men, but the thought of actually encountering them, now had her heart racing.

"Have you ever heard of "The Tailor"?" He suddenly asked her.

She glanced back at him and eyed him inquisitively, "No, I haven't. Is he another gang member?"

He nodded his head, and Caroline finally took real notice of the man beside her. He had a young face, despite the deep set wrinkles around his eyes, no doubt from being in the sun most days. He had a nice smile, and a soft twinkle in his eye, but there was something slightly off about his overall appearance. He couldn't have been much older than her, or perhaps even younger, but he looked as though he had been through hell, but had come out the victor.

"'The Tailor' is the worst of them," he said with a concerted smile, that made the hairs on her arms stand up on end. When she didn't say anything, he continued, "They say he got the nickname because he's a bit of a seamstress. When his victims were uncooperative, he would punish them by cutting out their tongues."

Caroline gulped in fear at the image. "What a terrible thought."

"Yes, and then in order to stop the screaming, he would take a needle and thread to their mouths and sew them shut." He was standing closer to her now, still wearing that unsettling smirk as he described the gruesome act.

"Yes, well," she cleared her throat. His stare had increasingly become more uncomfortable with his words. "If you'll excuse me." That was enough story time for Caroline and she began to walk in the direction of the bank. When he didn't move out of the way she said again, "Excuse me," as politely as she could muster.

He bowed low and tipped his hat before gliding his hand to the side, as if permitting her safe passage toward her destination. She returned a curt nod and walked briskly away.

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Caroline couldn't get the stranger and his stories out of her mind. She stood in line at the bank, her mind in a haze at the new information she had just received. What kind of demons does one have to possess that would make them so ruthless? She didn't know, but hoped that one day the men would be brought to justice.

The door to the bank opened behind her and she glanced back to see who had entered. Her heart sank when the unnerving stranger stepped in. He made eye contact with her and winked before pulling his bandana over his nose. In one swift motion he had a shotgun in the air and cocked it.

"Alright, Folks!" He yelled. "This is a stick up!"

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**Uh-o****h.  
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**I would love your reviews! Let me know what you think so far. ****Who do you think the stranger is? The Gentleman? This is just the beginning folks! I'm so excited about this story. **  


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	3. True Grit

**Howdy! **

**First of all, thank you for your reviews and the follows! Love them so much!  
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**I'd just like to start off by apologizing for the length. Not all of the chapters will be this short, probably none after this will be actually. I just got to the end and was like, "Nope. That's where it's gotta end!"  
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**But I hope you enjoy it! I think you'll all figure out real quick who the stranger is! ;-)  
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**Also, don't fret. Your favorite characters all have a role to play and you'll meet them eventually!**

**If you like what you read, please please review! They make my day!  
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**Chapter 2: True Grit**

"Alright, Folks!" He yelled. "This is a stick up!"

Caroline froze, staring at the man handling the weapon. To say she was caught off guard would be an understatement. And to think a few moments ago she was just chatting with him on the street. However, their uncomfortable and odd conversation was now beginning to make sense.

Caroline always thought of herself as a smart girl. Always obeyed the rules and never got in to too much trouble, but in this situation she seemed to lose hold of those qualities. For some reason she kept her eye contact with him, perhaps it was to show the bandit that she wasn't afraid, or maybe she was just too scared to look away. Either way, he cocked his head to the side and his dark hazel eyes seemed amused as he approached her. "Well aren't we courageous?"

"I would keep my distance, Bandit!" she said forcefully and when he took another step toward her she took two large steps back.

"I like pretty little things with sharp tongues," he mused, and removed a large hunting knife from his waist. "It would be such a waste to have to cut yours out," he said menacingly.

From the tip of her head to the soles of her worn in boots, Caroline felt every nerve in her body begin to quake. She no longer felt brave enough to look him in the eye, for the man in front of her, the one that spoke to her about the bandit that was sure to haunt her dreams forever, were one in the same. She was in the presence of "The Tailor".

"Ah, I can see you're puttin' the pieces together. Well don't worry," he shook his head and returned the hunting knife back to his belt, "your tongue will remain in that pretty little mouth of yours today._ If_ you do as I say."

He took another step toward her and she instinctively stepped back once more. At first she seemed to have won a small victory when he didn't pursue her any further, but it was short lived when she felt the hard barrel of a gun hit the center of her back. Her hands immediately went up in to the air as she heard the familiar cocking of the gun's hammer.

"I wouldn't move if I were you," a voice grumbled from behind.

How could she have known there was more than one of them? When she entered the bank it was just her, Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert (who were now cowering in the corner), the teller Alaric Saltzman, and a gentleman at the counter.

Caroline closed her eyes when the realization came to her of who the other bandit was. He looked familiar when he turned around to watch her enter the bank, and she berated herself for not figuring it out immediately. She was preoccupied with images of men getting their tongues cut out for her to notice that Damon "The Face" Salvatore was in her presence.

He was a handsome man, and the sketch outside did not do him justice. She presumed that was to his benefit, seeing as no one seemed to recognize him in town. His raven black hair framed his face in an unruly manner and as handsome as he was his sideways smile made him look more sinister than charming. He had a long nose and strong jawline, but it was the eyes they had gotten wrong in the drawing. They were much larger and were outlined with thick black lashes. If the sketch artist was able to print in color, his piercing baby blues would have been his tell for sure. Even if he hid the rest of his face, those eyes would have given him away instantly.

"Do as they say, Miss For-" Alaric started to say.

"Shut it!" Damon said. "Now, take me to the safe." He started to circle round the counter, waving his gun at the Gilberts and back at Caroline. "You think you can handle it out here," he asked The Tailor.

"Yeah, yeah. Just go get it and let's get the hell out of here." He kept his gun pointed at her and the other hostages while peeking through the curtains of the front window. "And hurry up! Looks like we're about to gain a couple more guests." He shuffled to the side of the door and shouted at the hostages, "Put your goddamn hands down," before pressing his finger to his lips to silence them.

The door opened, hiding the bandit from the unsuspecting folk and Caroline sighed. No one else needed to be involved and certainly not Mrs. Bennett and her granddaughter.

Mrs. Bennett had been taking care of her granddaughter, Bonnie, her entire life. Bonnie's mother ran off when she was a small child, and her father died of Scarlet Fever, so she was all that Bonnie had left and she would be damned if she let anything happen to them.

The moment the two ladies crossed the threshold, Caroline did a wildly stupid thing. "Mrs. Bennett, stop." She threw her hands out and halted them before quickly glancing at the stranger. He pointed his shotgun directly at her, and the fury in his eyes was inescapable as he shook his head slowly as a warning.

Mrs. Bennett was clearly startled. "Caroline Forbes, don't you know better than to startle an old woman? What's the meaning of this?"

"Sorry, it's just...well," she began but hadn't thought her actions through any further. "The bank is closed," she offered in a rush.

"Closed?" Bonnie looked around the room and noticed the other patrons.

"Yes, Mr. Saltzman said to tell anyone else that comes in that he was sorry but he needed to go home early today." She glanced over at the Gilberts, who just nodded their heads in agreement with the fib. Caroline felt relief rush over her from the Gilberts' unspoken understanding.

"Well, this just won't do," Mrs. Bennett said and started back in to the bank. She was a persistent old woman, she had to give her that.

Caroline moved forward and held her hands out once more. "Please, Mrs. Bennett, Bonnie, he was very adamant about no one else entering." She was trying her best to warn the women with the determination in her eyes.

_Go! Go now, there are bad men in here_, she pleaded silently.

Before they could refuse her again she was pushing them out the door. She nearly escaped herself but felt a strong grip on her elbow keeping her in place. Her body tensed at the unexpected contact. All she wanted to do was slap his hand away and race out the door with the Bennetts, but she just smiled one last time at them and closed the door in their faces. The women were griping on the other side of the door, mumbling something about Caroline not having any manners and her parents raising her better than that. She didn't care. They were safe.

"That was a risky move...Caroline, is it?"

She just nodded and moved away from him, placing her hands back over her head.

Damon rushed back in to the room with a frightened Alaric. "Got it! Let's go!" He swept his gun back around at the Gilberts and then to Caroline. "You four stay here and count to a hundred after we leave. If you even think about coming out this door before then, we've got a shooter poised and ready to take you out."

The Tailor just tipped his hat before reaching for the door handle, "Caroline, it was a pleasure." The way he said her name left a large lump in her throat, and the thought of this man knowing it was more unsettling than her knowing his.

The door slammed in front of them, as the bandits made their escape. Mrs. Gilbert finally let out a cry, Mr. Gilbert comforted her and Alaric swore before beginning their count to freedom. Caroline remained silent.

Something wasn't right.

While the rest of them counted and cried, she was replaying the events in her head. "Did..." she began, "did they take any money?" She imagined them leaving with large bags of the town's hard earned money, but realized they left with nothing but their pistols in their hands.

"No," was all Alaric said. "He had me open the safe and then lead me to the Councils safe deposit box."

"What did they take?" Mr. Gilbert asked.

"I'm not sure. He seemed to find what he was lookin' for though."

Odd.

"That was smart thinkin'," Mr. Gilbert said to her, "Getting Bonnie and her grandmother out of the way. Very brave."

She only smiled and nodded. It wasn't her intention to act bravely, she only wanted her friends to be safe.

"Do you think it's been a hundred yet?" Mrs. Gilbert asked Alaric.

"I think we're safe to leave, yes."

Caroline didn't hesitate before she rushed to the door for escape.

"Wait!" Alaric shouted. "Let me go first Ms. Forbes."

Alaric walked around the counter and stepped in front of her. He seemed extremely calm for a man that had just been robbed. His hand remained sturdy as he reached for the handle to peer outside.

Although she hadn't spent much time with him, she always felt like he was a good man, with strong morals and a kind heart. She could tell this by the way he held the door open for women and children, and how a warm smile always greeted her when she stepped in to the bank.

"Alright," he said and opened the door for Caroline.

The sun was still shining and the town still stood. It was just as she left it before going in to the bank. The bandits hadn't killed anyone, or set the buildings on fire, which were her immediate fears. There was no sign of the bandits at all, the town folk were going about their busy day, none the wiser. Caroline took two steps at a time down the stairs and raced in to the street.

She rounded the corner, taking little heed of the people in her way. She felt exhilarated but terrified. Never in her whole life did she think she would have gone through something like that. A bank robbery, with bandits and guns and threats, it was something you heard about not experienced.

Her father's horse was still hitched outside the station, and she picked up her pace. Something wasn't adding up with the robbery. What did they take? Her father would know, but she wouldn't get the chance to tell him.

One foot barely touched the first step to the station and her body was being yanked the opposite direction. A strong hand covered her mouth and the other wound tightly around her waist pulling her in to the shadows of the building.

She flailed her body, kicking and thrusting to escape, with no avail. Her body went limp as the distinctive sound of The Tailor whispered in her ear.

"There, there Caroline," his sickening voice purred in her ear. "We're not quite finished with you yet."

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**Haha! Kol's not quite finished. Muahaha. I wonder why that could be? Hmmm!**

**Love your comments! You guys have been so great!  
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	4. Lonesome Dove

**I'm glad you all enjoyed the last chapter. Some of you are on to me. I'm trying to be a trixy writer, but alas, you may all be too smart for me to seduce. (haha) Okay, not seduce, but deceive. I'll have to try a bit harder in the next few chapters. **

******Sorry for any spelling or grammatical no-nos, I wrote this pretty quickly. **

**lastly, I know I've been spoiling you guys with such quick updates. I just wanted to warn you that I probably won't have time to update until this weekend. So hold on to this one. Savor it. Love it. And please please please  
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**Chapter 3: Lonesome Dove_  
_**

**Mystic Haven 1846  
**

_Klaus took his time getting home that night. He knew there would be consequences for his tardiness, but he didn't care. This would be the last day he strolled through these woods, tomorrow his family would leave to start somewhere new. He grabbed a stick off the ground and drew in the dirt as he lazily walked toward his home._

_It wasn't fair that they had to leave, and so suddenly. It wasn't fair that he would never get to see Caroline again. She was the brightest spot in an otherwise dark and gloomy existence. No matter how awful his father was to him, the moment he saw her, it made the day bearable._

_His siblings were nice enough, always comforting him after Mikael took his anger out on the small boy. Elijah and Kol would pat him on the shoulder and Rebekah would always bring him an extra treat after spending the day baking with their mother. No one understood why he was the center of his anger. Why he singled him out and made him feel like he was the worst thing that had happened to their family._

_He grew to hate his father. He was still wary of him and obeyed the rules. There was only so much a small boy could do to defend himself against a grown man. He kept to himself most days, and always did what he was told, for it was far better than cowering in a corner while enduring the sharp slap of Mikael's belt against his bare skin._

_If it wouldn't break his mother's heart, Klaus would run away. The nights when Mikael was the worst; when he was lying on the floor broken and bleeding, Esther would come to him. She would fill a hot bath, cradle him in her arms and place him carefully in the steaming water. They never spoke._

_Esther had become very acquainted with the natural medicines of the land. They rarely had the doctor come for house calls and kept the medicine cabinet stocked with very few items. She didn't trust Mikael not to become enraged with the idea of spending unnecessary money on medicine to help the poor boy. So she used the herbs and plants in her garden to create healing salves and teas._

_The scent of violets would never be a pleasing aroma to Klaus. No, the beautiful plant would always and forever be tarnished with the dark and twisted actions of his father._

_"Niklaus!" a voice screamed in the distance._

_Klaus froze in place. He may have pushed his disobedience a bit too far tonight. He looked around and realized it was pitch black and his father was most definitely home for the evening. He ran toward his home, trying to come up with an excuse for his tardiness. Anything that would lessen the beating he was going to endure. Perhaps, Mikeal is just worried about him. Perhaps, but not likely._

_The last time Klaus came home late was almost the death of him. Mikael had beaten him so badly that Esther sent Elijah to town to fetch Doc Fells. It was the one and only time Doc had been to their home, at least when it came to Klaus. He had a concussion from hitting his head on the fireplace hearth after Mikael snapped his arm and threw him against it. He was bed ridden for a month._

_"NIKLAUS!" He heard his father scream again._

_The anger in Mikael's voice was none that he had ever heard. It was beyond rage. This was a new demon that Klaus was sure to encounter._

_He reached the edge of the sparse woods and remained in the shadows for a moment. He saw Mikael on the front porch, a bottle of liquor in his hands, swaying back and forth. He picked up one of the porch chairs and threw it violently against a window._

_Klaus swallowed and closed his eyes, preparing himself for the onslaught. But, instead of taking a step forward, he took a step back. "No," he whispered to himself and took a few more steps back._

_He had one fleeting thought of his mother and how he would miss her forever kindness and love, before he turned around and ran. He would rather never see his family again than endure one more moment with that monster._

(***)

**Somewhere Further West 1856**

"Let me go!" Caroline's hands were bound and she was draped across the bandits lap, the saddle horn jabbing her ribs as they galloped away from the scene of the crime. Her capture was a blur.

"Hah!" he screamed at the horse to pick up its speed.

Damon Salvatore was to her right, pressed almost flush against his horse's withers. He held his reins out to the side, whipping the horse's hind ends, pushing it to go as fast as it can.

The landscape was moving excruciatingly quick, as they made their way across the vast terrain. The ground was clouded in dirt and an occasional pebble would kick up smacking her in the face. She became nauseous from the movement, mixed with the growing pressure in her gut.

It felt like they had been riding for hours when the horse finally slowed to a canter. "Whooooa," he heard the men say, and the they finally came to a full stop.

The sound of water was close by, too quiet to be a river so she assumed it was a stream. There was shade as well most likely from a group of pines, as was indicated from the needles that littered the ground.

"Kol," Damon said. "What the hell were you thinking? Why on earth would you bring her?"

The idea that this Tailor had an actual name made her insides calm a little bit. Kol was a unique name, she had only known one other person by that name in her life. He was the obnoxious little brother of her childhood friend. In an instant the memory of the boy made her ponder the man in front of her. What were the chances that his could be the same Kol? Her brows furrowed as she stared at him taking in his thick eyebrows, and hazel eyes. Were Kol's eyes hazel? Were they brown? Did he have a cleft in his chin? It was no use, her memory of the boy was far too gone for her to really know if this was the same person.

"Well, while you were at the safe, I came to learn that this little lady is none other than Caroline Forbes. As in, Sheriff Forbes' daughter."

The fact that he only addressed her as the Sheriff's daughter seemed to sate her curiosity. Why wouldn't he say something, if he knew her name? Clearly he would've remembered her.

He yanked her from the saddle and tossed her on the ground. Caroline rolled to the side, hitting her face on the hard ground before kicking her feet to sit upright. She didn't make a sound, afraid to say anything that would cause her more harm and scrambled to the base of a nearby tree.

"So what if she's the Sheriff's daughter?" Damon scoffed. He took a step toward Kol a deep set scowl forming between his brows. "She's a liability. The Boss isn't gonna be happy about this."

Kol growled and stepped in to Damon's space, their faces mere inches from each other. "Why don't you let me worry about what the Boss is gonna think, and you just keep doing his bidding like a good dog."

The bandit's crystal blue eyes turned in to steely daggers, as the heated conversation between them began to boil. Caroline was certain this confrontation was going to become a deathly battle, when the clearing of a throat broke through the tension.

"Ahem, if you two are done makin' eyes at each other, we've got a half days ride ahead of us still."

A woman's voice was the last thing Caroline expected to hear. She glanced over her shoulder to match the voice with a face and saw a pretty blonde approach them. She had on a wide brimmed hat and her long, straw colored hair was braided neatly to the side. Beside her pretty face and long blonde hair, the rest of her attire was that of a man's.

"Ah, Lexi, we're just havin' some fun," Kol smiled and took a step away from Damon.

Lexi rolled her eyes, obviously not buying it. She suddenly stiffened when she noticed Caroline sitting quietly against the tree.

"Who the _hell_ is this?" she pointed at Caroline.

"Kol thought it would be a good idea to bring along a hostage."

"What for?" Lexi said perplexed by the turn of events.

"Don't ask me? This was Kol's brilliant idea," Damon said and stormed off to tend to his horse.

"Kol?" she asked. "Please explain to me why she's here."

"Nope," was all he said and turned to take his horse down to the stream for a much needed drink.

Lexi looked at Caroline and gave a half heartened smile. "I'm not sure what Kol's up to, but you better pray this doesn't get you killed."

(***)

After the horses had their fill of water, the four of them set back out on the trail. This time at a much slower pace, and with Caroline riding upright in front of Kol instead of draped across the saddle.

It wasn't her first choice, she would much rather share a saddle with the blonde, but Kol was insistent, making empty promises about keeping his hands to himself. He did nothing of the sort. At every chance his hand would cradle her waist and trace up her torso. He would feign like he was adjusting the reins but then skim the bottom of her breasts with his arm. His lips would graze her ear and he would whisper highly inappropriate things. At one point she figured being dragged behind the horse would've been a more pleasant experience than riding with this cretonne.

Caroline was beginning to think they would never reach their destination. They had been wandering the desert with the blazing sun beating down on them, and all she wanted was a drink of water and a shady tree. At last when the sun went down she embraced the cool air, but as it's always been in the desert, the blazing heat was always replaced with an even colder night. She held back her shivers as much as possible, not wanting to give Kol any further excuse to touch her.

They finally came upon a small house at the bottom of a ridge. If you weren't looking for it, you never would've found it. There were other horses meandering around the house, nibbling at what little grass was available.

"This is where we say goodbye, Sweet Caroline," he whispered in her ear.

"Goodbye?" She didn't understand.

"Yes, you see, the Boss doesn't like to share his playthings," he leered.

"I'm no one's plaything," she hissed.

"Ah, there's that sharp tongue of yours again. You may want to bite it before meeting my brother."

Caroline turned her head sharply to further register what he just said. Kol only smiled before dismounting and dragging her down with him.

_He has a brother,_ she thought. The idea that this might be the same Kol from her childhood resurfaced. But why the games? Why pretend like he doesn't know her?

"Kol?" she said quietly as they made their way to the house.

"Yes, Caroline?" he purred.

She stopped and stared at him. "Are you..."

"Am I what, Ms. Forbes? Going to kill you?" he asked venomously. His actions were that of a sick-minded person. One moment he's calm and seductive and the next he's fierce and violent. His words never matching his current personality.

Once again she remained silent. She was trying to read him but his aloofness was too much. He didn't know her, and she didn't know him. She hung her head and continued toward the house, "Never mind," was all she said. Any hope that she was in the company of friends was no longer present.

A man walked from around the house to greet them, eying Caroline cautiously. The sketch artist was dead on with this one. "The Gentleman" was every bit as regal as they portrayed him in the picture, all the way from his neatly pressed suit to his perfectly combed mustache.

"Hello," he said to her. "And who might this be?"

"Caroline Forbes," Kol said quickly, "she's Sheriff Forbes' daughter."

He only nodded his head in understanding. "Are we certain she still needs the restraints around her hands?"

"One can never be too cautious with hostages," Kol said but took note of the other man's tone and began to loosen the ropes keeping her captive.

Caroline rubbed her wrists. She hadn't realized how sore they were until the bindings were removed. The Gentleman, no matter how heavy of a reward was on his head, seemed to be the most sensible of the bunch. She had only just met him and already knew that he most likely kept the loose cannons, like Kol, under control.

"I thought we should introduce our dear friend Ms. Forbes, to the Boss. Is he here?"

The Gentleman only nodded.

"Fantastic!"

Kol grabbed Caroline by the elbow and trotted her up the stairs and to the house. The rest of the gang followed in tow.

"He's preoccupied at the moment, but I'm sure he'll be delighted to meet our guest." The sensible part of the man was waning and a threatening tone took over, and Caroline shuttered.

They entered the house and the chill in her bones subsided. The fireplace was lit and the flames were high, casting a soft glow in to the dim home. There was sparse furniture in the room. A few chairs and a small table were in the kitchen, or what seemed like a kitchen. There was no stove, just a few pots and pans spread out on the counter. In front of her was two doors, most likely bedrooms, and there was a light glow coming from one of them.

A man's scream shattered through the otherwise peaceful ambiance, and Caroline's eyes grew wide. "Please, please, I don't know anything," he pleaded.

Her heart was nearly in her throat when she thought about what was happening behind the closed door. It was obvious that it was nothing pleasant. She could barely make out the other voice responding to his pleas, just a simple rumble of a deep male voice.

"No! NO! PLEASE?!" was the last thing she heard before the sickening sound of a gurgled scream echoed in the room.

Caroline shut her eyes and a tear streamed down her face. What kind of ruthless monster was behind that door?

She didn't have to wait long for the answer. The door swung open and a man sauntered out, wiping his hands with a blood stained rag. He shook his head and tossed the rag aside. It was as if he were in a trance, a pensive look that Caroline would have taken for as remorse if she hadn't just heard the brutal murder that had taken place.

As if he was waking from a nightmare, his head shot up to take in the room full of people.

"I see our guest was not as cooperative as you would have liked?" The Gentleman asked.

The man just shook his head. He sighed heavily, but then perked up immediately. "Yes, well, we couldn't let him go now could we?"

His eyes found Kol's, "I assume everything went as planned? Did you get what I requested?"

"We did," Kol tipped his head, "and a little more than we bargained for." He pulled Caroline to the forefront of the group.

The Boss leaned back, surprised by the uninvited visitor. He stepped closer, looking her up and down. The light of the fire brought his features more clearly in to view. His sandy blonde hair had a soft wave in it, a few curls lingering around the nape of his neck and over his ears. He had a strong jaw and a full mouth. He had large dark circles under his eyes, and the stubble on his face looked as though it had been a few days since he shaved, giving him a gruff exterior to an otherwise handsome face.

He was taking in her appearance as well, lingering on her eyes and then her mouth before running his gaze down her arms. His eyes stopped their roaming and he lunged forward and grabbed her wrist, pulling it up for a closer view. His eyes flicked back and forth between her face, and what she now realized, the simple bracelet that she wore.

He was close enough now that she could see his eyes clearly. The familiar sadness and a color as bright as the sea rushed out of them like waves crashing on the shore.

"Brother, let me introduce you to..."

"Caroline," he finished.

Her mouth dropped open and her heart began to pound.

"Klaus."

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**They met! Yay they met! What did you think? **

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	5. No Country for Old Men

**I don't have much to say beside, thank you so much for all the follows and reviews! **

**I hope this little fic has still held your interest.  
**

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**Chapter 4: No Country for Old Men**

**The Middle of Nowhere **

Klaus, for the first time in a long time, was speechless. Her presence brought back too many memories of his past life. A life that was seemingly innocent but shrouded in regret and sadness. She looked the same, with her blonde curls, pink cheeks and caring eyes, however the small blonde that meant the world to him as a child had grown in to a strikingly beautiful woman.

He drank in her appearance, forgetting the images of a young girl and replacing them with what he saw before him. A mass of unruly hair, lips the color of poppies and sun-kissed skin that beckoned him to touch. He met her eyes and immediately dropped her wrist and recoiled. No longer was there the familiar angelic gaze that he once knew. She was now staring at him through slanted eyes with fire and loathing.

"Klaus!" she said his name again, but this time with fury, "What in the world is going on?"

"Come now Caroline, I thought it might be nice to get reacquainted with your old friends." Kol said and reached his hand up to brush the hair away from her shoulder, a tinge of lust in his eye.

"Don't touch me!" Caroline slapped his hand away and pushed him backward. "How dare you keep up this charade! How dare you make me feel like I was in the presence of strangers when you knew me all along." She went at him again.

Klaus' jaw clenched, his protective instincts for his family boiling forward. He grabbed Caroline by the shoulders and spun her around to face him, not caring of the momentary fear he saw in her eyes. "Now you listen here, little girl," his voice low and threatening, "I would mind your tongue and your actions."

"Or what?"she spat at him, "what are you going to do?"

He pulled her in closer, tightening the grip on her shoulders. "Don't think that because we have a past, that you are in a safe place," he hissed. "People have said less to me and I have killed them on the spot."

Caroline searched his eyes for any reasoning behind his venomous words. "What happened to you?" she said and shook her head in disbelief. "How did you get like this?"

He let go of her instantly, he didn't want her looking at him like that, with pity and sadness. He spent enough of his life feeling sorry for himself and angry about the past. She had no right to make him feel that again.

"Elijah, take our guest outside. Make sure she has something to eat and a place to rest."

"Wait, I have to sleep outside?"

"Unless you would prefer to sleep next to our unfortunate friend in the other room?" He gestured toward the door he had just emerged from.

She scoffed at his attempt to frighten her. Elijah came behind her and placed a hand on her arm, she shrugged him off, turned on her heels and exited the cabin, leaving Elijah shaking his head before he sauntered off in tow of the scorned woman.

"Well, she's a feisty one, isn't she?" Kol chuckled. His laughter abruptly stopped when Klaus' fist made contact with his jaw. Kol fell in to the small table, his feet going over his head before crashing to the floor.

"You stupid son of a bitch!" He screamed and he launched toward him again. Damon and Lexi did their best to stop him, but he pushed them both off with ease. Kol scrambled to his feet and placed his hands in front of him as he cowered in the corner.

"Whoa, whoa, Brother," he said.

"Kol, what were you thinking bringing her here with you?" he grabbed the younger man by the collar and shook him.

"Listen, she was at the bank during the robbery. When I found out who she was I knew it would only be a matter of time before she went to her father. I wasn't sure if she had recognized me, and I didn't want to take any chances."

Klaus loosened his grip and backed away from Kol. "Well, she's your responsibility now! You hear me?" Kol nodded his head and scampered toward the door. "And Kol? Keep her out of the way and try to play nice. She might know something that could be of use to us." He walked to the fire and placed a hand on the mantle. "Damon. Lexi. Go take care of the body."

They all did as they were told, quick to obey his orders. He stared in to the fire, contemplating his next move, as if the amber flames held the answer. She was not part of the plan. He knew going to Mystic Haven was risky, with the history that his family had there. He would've sent Damon and Stefan alone and not Kol, but Stefan was otherwise preoccupied and Kol was the next safest bet. How was he to know, that of all the people in that town, that she would be the one to get caught in the crossfire?

(***)

**Abilene, KS 1856**

Abilene was not the most inviting city. It was stuck in the middle of a seemingly never ending feud between the states and it was the last somewhat civilized town between the east and the wild west. It was a feeding ground for the wealthy proprietors and country men alike, and every man had an agenda when setting foot there. The wealthy would stray to the dark side and mingle with the heathens. They would make deals with the devil, drink their fill of libations, and gamble their hard earned money away.

The death toll was a way of life. There were more unmarked graves outside the city limits than anywhere else in this desolate place. If you stepped foot in Abilene, it was best to keep your nose clean, stay out of the way of others and focus on your task at hand.

However, there was one place, centrally located in town, that had no bias on its clientele. However noble a man was or how dastardly of an outlaw, they could enjoy an evening of delicious entertainment at the Broken Gospel Inn. The women there were what made up a man's fantasy. A night of desire and lust with a woman that's sole purpose was to please you, and only you. For a price, of course.

The Inn was managed by a fiery red head named Sage. She kept her ladies in line, kept them clean and well fed. She was as tough as any man, but understood the importance of giving off the appearance of a lowly woman. Men in that day didn't do well with a woman in authority, so when her clients came to visit she portrayed herself as she knew they would want her to be; meek and soft and easily tamed. She encouraged her ladies to do the same. Be what they want you to be, that was their motto.

Sage sat in her room, she counted the last of the money that was stacked neatly on her desk, preparing it for safe keeping in her hidden safe. A ding at the front desk indicated that another customer was beckoning her for a night of tawdry entertainment.

"Hello sir, how can I delight you this evening?" she asked with a sultry smile.

The man removed his hat and held it nimbly between his fingers. "Is this the place that a man can...indulge himself?" he inquired. He had a look of desire on his face that Sage was all too familiar with.

"I believe I can find something that can satisfy you." She stepped around the desk and sauntered toward him.

Sage had been in the business long enough now to know what a man would prefer. She could tell by their actions, their words and even their posture what kind of lover they would be and the exact woman that could oblige him.

"You just wait right here, and I'll go find what you're looking for," she offered and held out a hand for him to take a seat.

"Actually, I was hoping I could request the company of a certain girl in your employment?"

"Oh?"

"Yes, I believe she goes by the name of the Temptress?"

"Ah," was all Sage said. Her newest girl was beginning to get a reputation it seemed. This was good for her business, but also, dangerous. When a woman becomes too much of a hot commodity, the other woman tend to suffer for it. She had lost too many good women to unnecessary jealousies. "Well, how can I refuse a man with such a handsome face? Let me see if she's available."

Sage made her way up the stairs to seek out the requested woman.

The inn was nearly full that night, and as she walked down the hallway the sounds of pleasure escaped from behind closed doors. She neared the room of the inquired woman just as the door swung open and a disheveled gentleman stumbled out. His belt was still undone and his hair was a ruffled mess.

"Hello Mayor Lockwood."

"Oh, he- hello, Ms. Sage," he said as he clumsily tucked his shirt in and fastened his pants.

"I presume you had a wonderful time with our dear-"

"Oh yes, yes...fine, fine, she's a firecracker that one!"

Sage only smiled and nodded. Mayor Lockwood was one of her best clients. He never cared much for whom he spent the night with, as long as they were young and limber. That was until the Temptress took up residence. He was smitten with her and spent almost every evening calling out her name.

He started down the hallway when Sage halted him. "Mayor Lockwood, you know the rules, the back entrance is a much safer escape." She put her hand on his shoulder and directed him toward the back stairwell. "We wouldn't want anyone to see you, now would we?"

It was the same with every man. They came in the front door and out the back. She told them it was for their safety and with the more recognizable members of the community, for their reputation, but really it was to give the illusion that the men waiting in the entry were the one and only guest her girls had in their beds. He only grumbled an "Of course, of course, thank you Sage dear," before turning and exiting.

Sage waited until he was gone before knocking on the door. She didn't wait for a response and opened the door to find her girl lounging in the window, puffing on a cigarette. "Hurry and get cleaned up, you have another guest," she said to the woman.

After a moment Sage directed the young man in the waiting room to her door. He swallowed, looking so nervous and naive, it was refreshing. "Enjoy yourself," she said to him.

"Thank you, ma...ma'am."

The room was dimly lit but he could make out a perfectly made bed and a small night stand. The room smelled of cigarettes and perfume, a smell that brought memories of sweet surrender flooding to his mind. He turned his head and saw her. She stood there in only a white satin robe that clung neatly to her body. Her stalkings were peeking through, teasing him to come and take a better look. Her hair was thick with curls, playfully caressing her neck and framing the most gorgeous face.

He only smiled at her, it was all he could do, before she moved swiftly toward him and he was blinded by a kiss. She tasted as sweet as she smelled and just as he remembered.

She pulled away slightly, her blue eyes sparkling at him. "Hello Stefan," she purred.

"Hello Rebekah, how's our favorite informant?"

She placed a finger on his lips to quiet him. "Shh, pleasure first. Business later."

(***)

Caroline stormed out of the cabin, her hands in fists at her side as she stomped across the open terrain. It was dark now, just a glimmer of the sunset left peeking over the horizon. She embraced the cool air that nipped at her cheeks and held back the tears that were begging to be released.

It wasn't her intention to run away but her feet wouldn't stop moving. She continued her pursuit to safety, needing to distance herself as much as possible from the boy that had become a monster.

"Caroline," a voice rang out after her. "Caroline if you do not stop I _will_ shoot you," it said calmly.

Her hands relaxed and she turned around to face the threat. The Gentleman, or Elijah (of course it was Elijah), was holding his six shooter at her. "Shoot me!" she yelled at him. "I'd rather die than be in the company of you people."

"Now, you know I can't do that, but it would be best if you came back to the cabin with me. There are a lot worse things in the desert at night besides my pistol."

He was right, of course, she wouldn't last the night by herself. She inhaled sharply and started back with Elijah.

He held out his hand back toward safety. "There's a nice fire going in the back of the cabin. As well as some beans cooking and some blankets," he said.

She could see the faint glow of the fire, its warm flames enticing her when the chill of the night finally set in. As she moved past Elijah, he casually placed his jacket around her shoulders. It was a kind gesture, which she would've shrugged off, but the immediate warmth it brought had her wrapping it closer to her body.

"Thank you," she said, not forgetting her manners.

"You're very welcome," he responded.

Caroline was confused by Elijah. She always knew he was kind, she remembered that much of him, but to be so completely different from his brothers was hard for her to understand. Where they were coarse and demeaning, he seemed gentile and forgiving.

"'The Gentleman', suits you," she half smiled.

He only lightly chuckled, "Yes, I wouldn't have chosen that name, but I suppose there are far worse names that one could be stuck with."

"Like the Tailor?" She jeered, thinking of Kol's sickening alter ego.

"Hmm, yes, I'm afraid my little brother came up with that one himself. However gruesome it is, it's appropriate. He delights in the torture of others."

"And you?"

"I would rather use words, but am not afraid to get my hands dirty if needed."

Caroline thought of his Wanted poster and the heavy reward that was on his head. She was sure it wasn't there because he used forceful words, but thought it best to not inquire at the moment.

They walked behind the cabin and found a small camp site set up. Kol stepped away from the fire and toward them, he immediately put a hand in the air in surrender and handed her a small bowl. "Don't shoot! I come in peace," he laughed. She eyed him warily before accepting the bowl, her hunger overcoming her anger.

She sat down on a log near the fire and ate in silence. She pondered the events of the day, from her morning with her mother, to the bank robbery and the long trek that brought her here. She glanced down at the silver bracelet on her wrist, reflecting the fire and bringing his sad, blue eyes to the forefront of her mind. She was so relieved to see him; a familiar face and safety. But it didn't last. He wasn't the same person anymore, he was ruthless and uncaring; so distant from the little boy that she once cared so deeply for. The tears began to swarm, as her heart began to break for him.

_Today was just the beginning,_ she thought. Tomorrow she would get to the bottom of her kidnapping, and piece together the complicated puzzle of Klaus Mikaelson.

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	6. Young Guns

**First off, I hope I haven't lost any of you and that you're still waiting for updates. I'm so sorry it's taken me so long, I just needed to find some inspiration.  
**

**Thanks to my lovelies Mimi and Angel for your awesome help! You guys are the two best betas a girl could ever ask for.  
**

**Are you guys not so stoked that tonight is 4x07? Blauuuugghhh! So excited.  
**

**Anyway, please enjoy! And as always, let me know what you think at the end, you're reviews are the best!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Young Guns**

**Mystic Haven - 1846**

_He didn't know where he would go. For a fleeting moment he thought about going to Caroline, hiding with her, but he knew that would be the first place his family would look. He also knew that Sheriff Forbes would send him on his way, if not escort him personally back to his Father. Everyone was scared of Mikael they wouldn't want to do anything to get on his bad side, even the Sheriff._

_This could be a new game, he thought to himself. One of real life adventure and excitement. He would live the life of an outcast, wander from town to town, steal to live and love every minute of it. His mind raced with possibilities, distracted by the fantasies of new found freedom, when his feet left the ground as a hard shoulder slammed in to his._

_"Where the hell do you think you're going?"_

_Klaus scrambled to his feet. "Elijah?"_

_"Yes, stupid, now come on, you've got Mother worried sick about you." Elijah grabbed Klaus by the elbow dragging him in the direction he had just come from, as the smaller boy squirmed and clawed for freedom._

_"Let go!" He screamed and with one final twist of his arm he loosened his brother's grip only to fall once more._

_"Klaus," Elijah huffed._

_"NO! Elijah, I can't! You know what he'll do to me," Klaus said with a whimper and drew his knees to his chest, hiding the new formed tears daring to escape. Daring to show his weakness. "I can't go back there."_

_Elijah sighed. Klaus was right, he knew that he was right. His father's temper would surely befall on the small boy. He dragged his hand through his hair, contemplating his next move. "Well, what do you suppose I do, Klaus? Mother is worried sick about you."_

_"I don't know, Elijah, but please, please don't make me go back there." Klaus' small wet eyes pleaded with his brother._

_"Do you have any idea where you're going to go?"_

_"I...I was thinking about hitching a ride to the next town and then I wasn't sure..."_

_"You mean, hiding out in someone's carriage, cause there ain't nobody in this town that's gonna agree to take you away from Mikael," Elijah said assuredly._

_Klaus just nodded, suddenly feeling like this wasn't such a great idea after all._

_"Well, Klaus, you can't go back but you're gonna have a hell of a time going forward on your own."_

_Klaus just shrugged his shoulders. "I'll take my chances alone."_

_"You won't have to," Elijah said and reached his hand down for his brother. "I'm comin' with you."  
_

_Klaus blinked the tears away before grabbing his brother's hand and raising back to his feet. "Really?" he sniffed. "You'd leave Mama and...and come with me?"_

_"Hell, who wants to live in New York anyway?"_

_"This is gonna break her heart. Oh and poor Rebekah."_

_"Rebekah will be fine. She's a tough girl, and she has Kol. I'm far more concerned with Mikael breaking your neck."_

(***)_  
_

**Middle of Nowhere**

Klaus walked out on to the porch, stretching his young but tired muscles while the cool air of a new day washed over him. Today was a big day. One of thievery and danger, and it was these types of days that made him truly feel like the Outlaw that he was. His target was a large shipment meant for Abilene, KS and come hell or high water he would steal every wretched penny off of that train. Mikael had too much going his way and for far too long. The railroad was continuing its growth across the nation, but at what cost?

Mikael's dirty money was making its way this evening on the 2:40 from New York to Abilene, where it will be handed off to Mayor Lockwood. He knew the Mayor had been taking the money from Mikael, and in return giving him the labor of those poor unfortunate Negros that dared to step foot in to his county. Along with any Apaches, Cherokees or just a down on his luck white man. They were all sent to the mines owned by Mikael or shipped to work on the railroads. Slave labor to mine the very silver that was used to place those men in to slavery.

A vicious circle. And one that had to end.

Klaus is not a good man by any means, he doesn't steal the money to give to the poor, like the tales of Robin Hood and his Merrymen. No, they keep it, they revel in it, spend it like kings. Klaus had done just as horrible or maybe even worse things than Mikael, but he never pretended to be anything other than what he was. A no good, murderin', thief with a soft spot for sleeping blonde beauties.

He could see her, curled up under one of the horse's blankets. Her skin shimmering in the morning sun's rays, her face smudged with the desert grime, and a soft breeze picking up her curls and fluttering them gently across her face. She looked like an angel, an unfortunate angel that was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He still didn't know what to do with her. She couldn't go back, no, she had seen too much and knew too much. And it would be impossible to keep her with them, but he supposed the latter would be a more formidable solution to an otherwise sticky situation.

The fire that burned all night was a pile of embers now and a small stream of black smoke snaked through the air. Klaus watched Caroline, breathing slowly and peacefully. He envied her ability to sleep so soundly; he was not so fortunate. There was always too much on his mind. His next job, his past sins, always keeping him awake. He doesn't remember a night that he didn't wrestle in his sleep, or wake with a start only to grab the knife under his pillow, poised and ready for an invasion. A time or two he almost gutted one of his gang members. They learned very quickly after that not to go anywhere near him when he was sleeping.

Last night, however, her face haunted his dreams. He remembered some things about her from their childhood. The color of her eyes, and the way she smiled. Her hair always felt so soft and he could've listened to her talk all day, and she did too. She always had an opinion, even when he didn't ask for it, but she also spoke kind words, and filled his silence with silly stories on the days he just couldn't bring himself to respond. But those were memories of a child, and the vision in front of him now was a goddess. Long legs, pert breasts, and a mouth that still talked too much, but made him desperate to quiet it with his own.

They had a long day ahead of them, and as much as he wanted to stay and admire the slumberous vision, she had to wake up and face the day with the rest of them. How to wake her was the question. Should he be gentle and sweet or show her the same respect he'd always shown his brothers? Without a second thought, he withdrew his pistol from its holster and with a ring like canon fire, shot it in to the air.

_BANG!_

Caroline shot out of bed like a fox in a hen house. She scrambled to her feet, trembling in place; her head whipping back and forth with surprising alertness. "What's happening?" she hollered.

Klaus didn't move. His hand lingered in the air, smoke still drifting from the barrel as he waited for her to realize the cause of her alarm. The recognition slowly came to her as her eyes darted between him and his pistol and finally narrowing in to slivers. "Holy buckets, you scared the livin' _daylights_ out of me!" she screamed and balled her hands in to fists and stamped her foot.

He didn't laugh, however the toddler like reaction did have him slightly smiling and shaking his head.

"Is that funny to you? Scaring a defenseless woman like that?" Caroline threw her hands in the air.

"You over slept," was all he said, and if looks could kill, he'd be dead on the spot.

It seemed she wasn't the only one he had startled, "Goddammit, Niklaus! You tryin' to wake the neighbors?" Elijah screamed as he and Kol came rushing over to them, both shirtless and donning smudges of shaving cream on their faces.

He kept his face still, holding back any sign of amusement, "This one's been sleepin' in," he said and nodded in Caroline's direction.

"Yes, well, we didn't see any reason to wake her," Elijah said and wiped his face.

Kol was the first to notice Caroline's uncomfortable situation, and couldn't help to fuel the fire. "See something you like?" Kol taunted her and grazed his hands down his exposed chest.

"Excuse me?" she said, her indignant tone not going unnoticed. She swiftly turned away from them, only to be brought face to face with Klaus. His eyebrows were arched high in question, bringing out the deep set wrinkles in his forehead and the brilliance of his blue eyes. "Well...do you?" he said quietly and only for her to hear.

She rolled her eyes and scoffed at him before storming in the direction his brothers just came from.

"Where are you going?" he hollered after her.

"I assume, by your brothers' lack of decency that there is a watering hole of some kind on the other side of this ridge? I'd like to wash up, if that's okay with you?" she yelled back at him.

He needed to clean up as well, and thought the company of the sassy blonde would do just fine. Last night his thoughts were riddled with her. She was incredible to look at, all fire and brimstone, and he could only imagine how incredible it would be to touch her. To know her. To feel her naked body, flushed with heat and writhing underneath him.

"Make sure to get the place cleaned up. Saddle the horses, get rid of any evidence that we were here." He told his brothers.

Perhaps he could convince her to take a swim with him. The very thought had a sinister smirk dancing across his face.

"Where are Damon and Lexi?" Kol asked.

"They've already started for Abilene to meet up with Stefan." He didn't look back, only followed her up and over the hill, unbuttoning his shirt along the way.

(***)

The nerve.

The gall.

The absolute lack of respect these men have. Caroline didn't know where she was going, but let the sound of water in the distance guide her to her destination.

She had sometimes wondered whether she would meet him again. But she never imagined it would be like this. It was meant to be a happy reunion, filled with memories of the past and an expectation to create new memories in the future. Not like this. How did she get in to this predicament? What were the chances?

Was it fate?

Fate, as she saw it, was when two paths were destined to cross in order to balance the universe with their union. Each person giving something to the other that they had been searching for. Typically that would be friendship, or love, but in this circumstance all Caroline wanted to give Klaus was a bloody nose and a cracked jaw. No, it wasn't fate that brought them together, it was coincidence. She had nothing to give him, and he certainly had nothing to give back to her.

The water was getting louder and as she stepped through the trees to see a small stream. She raced to the bank and crouched down, the sight of water unearthing a thirst she didn't realize was there. She drank heavily letting the cool water rush down her throat before cupping it in her hands and splashing it on her face. She could only imagine the amount of dirt that covered her body, and for a moment pondered the idea of taking a swim.

Wouldn't that just be a delight to that scoundrel, Kol? She already felt exposed enough without giving him more to drool over, and she drew her already tightly fastened shirt closer to her neck. She rinsed her hands and her arms, and washed her face again, when she heard a twig snap behind her.

Of course they wouldn't give her a moment's peace. Always watching and terrorizing her. She continued her washing and yelled back, "If you've come for a show, you're going to be sorely disappointed." She snapped her head back to make her point clear to the intruder.

The sudden snap of a branch did not indicate the presence of a Mikaelson, no, what stood before her was much more threatening. If that was possible. A large red skinned man, with a strong jaw, painted face and dark brown eyes with a stern glower stared down at her.

A silent hiccup of fright bubbled in her throat but before she could let out a scream the world went black.

(***)

Klaus moved forward through the woods, undressing slowly and keeping quiet. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he wanted to see more than what was expected. He lingered a ways back, hoping that the alone time would spur the girl on to think they had given her some privacy. His fantasies getting the better of him of course, because seeing her naked would take far more effort than a simple game of Peeping Tom. He knew that, and smiled at himself for having such juvenile thoughts.

However, if he wanted her, he could have her. He always got what he wanted in the end.

He stepped in to the clearing but Caroline was nowhere in sight. Perhaps she was being coy and attempting to hide. She wasn't stupid enough to try running away. But with no sign of her, he started to panic and raced to the waters edge, looking for any sign of the missing blonde.

Being a part of the land his entire life, Klaus was known for his tracking. He could make out a pair of animal prints from a mile away and when he stared at the land before him, he knew she hadn't run away, she was dragged away.

Caroline had been captured.

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**Oh no...Injins! **

**What's a Klaus to do?  
**

**Reviews are the best!  
**


	7. Hiawatha

**Hi guys! So here's the update. I hope you like it!  
**

**I'll apologize now for the lack of Klaroline, but I promise to give you guys so much good stuff in the next couple chapters you're gonna just die! But this chapter is an important part of the story.  
**

**Also, sorry for anyone who actually knows how to speak Navajo (unlikely), but I used a few of their words and there is a reference at the end of the chapter for what the words mean.  
**

**Always and forever kudos to Angel and Mimi. Thanks ladies! =)  
**

**Yeehaw! This is gettin' good!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Hiawatha  
**

**Middle of Nowhere  
**

Klaus lazily walked back to the cabin unsure of what to do next. It was like an answer to prayer. One minute he's thinking about what to do with her and the next, she vanished. Clearly the Indians thought she meant something to him or they wouldn't have taken her. Little did they know...

"Where's Caroline?" Elijah asked seeing Klaus walking back by himself.

"Uh oh, was Caroline not impressed with what she saw and ran for the hills?" Kol snickered, which even brought a faint smile to Elijah's face. A very faint one.

"Well, it seems our dear Caroline has been taken."

"What? How?" Elijah asked.

"How else? The damn Apache," he responded nonchalantly.

"You let her out of your sights for two minutes, and you let the Indians steal her away?" Kol asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Seems to me like we just had a big problem solved for us. No more worrying about what to do with her," he shrugged and began to pack what was left at their camp.

"Klaus, I can see that you're just heart broken over this turn of events," Elijah mused, "but perhaps it wouldn't be wise to leave the girl in the hands of savages?"

"And I think we have bigger things to worry about today. Going to rescue some girl isn't my priority."

"Listen, I'm all for leavin' the girl with the Injuns, she'll only get in the way, but are you sure _you're_ going to be okay with it?"

"ANd, I don't like what you're implying, Kol" Klaus said darkly, "so unless you'd like to have your liver ripped out and handed to you on a plate, I suggest you shut your trap." Klaus wasn't kidding, it was fun to think about what it would be like to bed the beauty, but that was as far as it went.

Elijah, always the sensible one said, "I think what our dear brother is trying to say, is that we shouldn't leave any loose strings lying around. This is a big job Klaus, and we need our heads clear. Even if that means we get the girl and kill her ourselves, at least then we'll have peace of mind about her whereabouts."

"Besides, who knows what she'll tell them? We don't need them knowin' our family business!" Kol interjected.

Klaus pondered his brothers' suggestions. He had no allegiance toward her. True, they knew each other when they were small, and now he couldn't fight the undeniable attraction and desire he had for her, but it wasn't stronger than the thrill of a heist. And it certainly wasn't stronger than the bond of family and Caroline wasn't family.

However, they did bring up some fair points. He'd be wondering all day what they were doing to her, no matter how hard he'd try not to. Her face had left an imprint in his mind, and he didn't need that rattling around his head on the most important day of his Outlaw career.

"What do you suggest we do? Infiltrate their village with guns blazin' and demand her release?"

"No," Elijah said calmly, "but, if it's the tribe that I think it is, there is a possibility that we can reason with them; see what they want in exchange."

"I'm not giving those dirty redskins a thing!"

"It's our only solution. Their land is on the way to Abilene, shouldn't be more than an hour out of the way."

Klaus growled with annoyance. This was not the way this day was supposed to happen. _She_ wasn't supposed to happen. He strolled toward his mare and began to saddle her. If there was one thing he hated more than anything else in this pitiful world, it was when his brothers were right. He didn't get to be the Boss of this gang by giving in to the likes of them, but he couldn't deny their logic. Caroline needed to be freed. He finished with the final cinches of his saddle and mounted his mare. "Well then brother, lead the way."

Elijah nodded his head in approval and Kol just laughed with amusement as they climbed on to their own horses. Klaus only shook his head before he kicked his heels to spur the animal forward. The other two followed and the three Mikaelsons galloped off to rescue the damsel in distress.

(***)

_"Do you think they'll find us here?" Caroline's small voice whispered._

_"Nah, this is the best hiding spot, they won't even think about looking here," the boy answered._

_"What do you think our next move should be against those vile savages?"_

_"I don't know, but I'm just glad you're safe," the small boy continued to play along._

_"Well, you were very brave," she said and placed a small kiss on his cheek._

_He blushed and shook his head, smiling to himself. The moment lasted a second before his head shot up, "Do you smell that?"_

_"What?" _

_"I think they're getting close."_

_Caroline inhaled sharply, trying to sniff out the unfamiliar scent. "What is that?"_

_The smell of campfire with a hint of something unrecognizable wafted in the air. _

_"They're here. They found us!"_

Caroline's eyes fluttered open. Her head was pounding and her vision blurry, and she was only able to make out a soft amber glow in a hazy room. Her head hung forward, bobbing up and down going in and out of consciousness. She remembered being rudely woken up, storming off on her own, and rinsing off in the river, then...the recognition of what had happened finally came in clearly, "the Indian." She struggled against the ropes keeping her hands tied to a pole behind, as her mind and the room came in to full focus.

This was not looking good for Caroline Forbes. She was a prisoner, yet again, only this time with true strangers. Not only strangers, but savages, another group of people that she had only heard horror stories about but never thought she would encounter. When she realized her struggles against the ropes were futile, her shoulders sagged and she took in her surroundings.

There was a small fire in the middle of the circular room. She followed the smoke trail up the cylinder enclosure where it escaped from a small opening at the top.

A tepee.

The rest of the room was sparse. There were a few furs hanging on the other side of the room, and what looked like a small bed huddled against the other. Up above her she saw lines of clothing hanging over the fire, and in front of her leather flaps of canvas that covered the entrance. It was still daylight she noticed, as hints of white light peeked through the cracks. Either it was the next day, or she hadn't been knocked out for very long.

She attempted to loosen her bindings once more, this time standing up against the pole in order to give herself more room to work with, but she quickly gave up. She was too tired and too weak to accomplish the task. She leaned her head back against the pole once more and let out a sigh, "What have you gotten yourself in to Caroline," she said out loud.

Surely Klaus knew she had gone missing. Maybe he even knew that she had been captured, but she didn't think the chances of them every knowing where she was or how to find her were very good. Even if they did, why would they rescue her?

The daylight began to invade the tepee as one of the canvas flaps folded back. A silhouette stood in the entrance, just a shadowy black mass at first until it started to take form. She was expecting the same man from earlier, the one that looked murderous and terrifying, but instead was relieved to see a small female figure approach her.

The girl smiled sweetly at Caroline and approached her holding a small bowl. She was very beautiful. She had long dark hair, chocolate eyes, and a pretty heart-shaped face. She put the bowl in front of Caroline and held up the spoon, indicating she wished to give Caroline some of what was in the bowl.

She didn't know what it was, it could've been poison for all she knew, but the smell was too enticing. Her stomach was hollow, and the temptation to satiate her hunger superseded the fear of dying. Besides, the girl seemed genuine and harmless.

She brought the spoon to Caroline's mouth, and she slurped it up. The hot liquid ran down her throat, soothing it before spreading the warmth through her stomach. They did this for a little while, both women silent as one tended to the other. Caroline wondered why this girl was being so kind to her, clearly she was their hostage, but weren't treating her as she expected.

The Indian placed the bowl down and smiled again, placing a hand over her chest and saying, "Elena," and then extended her hand to Caroline clearly expecting a response.

_Elena?_ Caroline thought but then realized that must be her name and responded with a warm smile. "Caroline."

Elena seemed pleased with their dialogue, and nodded her head before turning and leaving the tepee. Caroline was still confused on why they were being so gentle with her, perhaps she had them all wrong, or perhaps the women were just gentler than the men. But, it didn't matter, the warm liquid had calmed her nerves. She slowly moved back down the pole to a sitting position. Her head grew heavy once more, and she drifted back off to sleep.

(***)

The boys rode for about an hour, Elijah leading the way, until they came upon a high ridge. They stuck close to the base, not wanting to be open and exposed, in fear of being spotted by a scout. An arrow wouldn't do much damage, especially at such a long distance, but the Apache had evolved over the years. No longer were they armed with bows and arrows and tomahawks, but they wielded fire arms too. They traded with the white man, furs and game in exchange for rifles and pistols, trying to match the fire power of their enemies.

"What's our next move?"

"I think our best chance is to try and get on higher ground without being spotted. There's a small opening just up here that should do just fine."  
Elijah pointed at a small ridge trail hidden in the rock. If you weren't looking for it, you would've surely missed it.

"You seem to know your way around these parts pretty well," Klaus said. "You've been spending some time with the enemy, brother?"

"I've spent time with them and we've done our fair share of trading."

"Is that all? Just trading?" Klaus didn't like the idea of his brother having a relationship with them. It was his brother, and he would always be loyal but that didn't mean he always trusted his judgement.

Elijah remained silent and just continued along their path.

The horses remained sure footed as they began their assent. The walls were tight and rocks crumbled down around them, it was a dangerous path, but it seemed to be secure from watchful eyes. As they made their way to the end, the path began to widen, opening up to a small prairie. It was filled with tall grass and surrounded by high canyon walls, creating efficient protection against their enemies. In the distance they could see billows of smoke rising.

"Well done Elijah," Kol said, "Let's go get the girl and get the hell out of here." Kol moved forward across the field.

"Wait! Kol, stay put," Elijah yelled after him.

It was too late for Kol to recede, one second he was advancing forward and the next he was falling backward off his steed.

"Dammit!"

Klaus and Elijah raced forward to their brother. There was no indication of gunfire but his tumble was a true sign that he had been taken down by something. When they reached him he was writhing on the ground, an arrow sticking out of his shoulder and cursing the sky. "Goddamn, son of a bitch, fucking Injun scum..."

The cursing continued as they dismounted and rushed to his side. "Kol, you stupid SOB, why'd you take off like that?"

"I'll kill them all! I'll cut out their tongues, grind them up and force feed it down their fucking throats!" He sat up from the ground, the arrow had gone straight through, the head peeking out the back of his shoulder.

"You should be lucky they're not a very good shot. A few inches more to the left and you'd be dead," Elijah scolded him.

"Can we get the hell out of here please? We don't know where they are or how long it's gonna take for them to reach us."

Klaus and Elijah began to lift their brother off the ground. However, before they could make their escape the discernible sound of gunfire blasted in the air. All around them the onslaught of natives came upon them. Bow and arrows, shotguns, and pistols all poised and ready to rain death upon them.

Klaus and Elijah lifted their hands in surrender and Kol slumped back to the ground, bracing his shoulder before swearing one last time and passing out. They both reached down to aid their brother again when the stern voice of one of their captures halted them.

"Do not move, Wasichu*." A young Apache, no older than Klaus, climbed down from his horse and approached them.

Klaus began to speak, when Elijah put a hand across Klaus' chest and cut him off, "Taza, we are not here to fight. We've just come for the girl."

"We did not take her so you could come and claim her, Wasichu, you know this. We take her because you owe us something."

"I'm aware, Taza, but this is not the best time."

"Your wife is waiting. You promise her you would return."

Klaus threw his head back and laughed. "His wife? I think you may have my brother confused with someone else." When Elijah didn't join in with his chuckles, Klaus got the clear distinction that he was missing something. "Elijah, what the hell are they talking about?"

He didn't respond to Klaus, instead he continued to look at Taza, his eyebrows knitted together in concentration. "You can take me to her. My brother will need medicine, and we can discuss our arrangement."

"We will give your brother to *Pejula Wacasa, but we will keep the other one imprisoned," he pointed at Klaus, "until you speak with Inyuk-Chuk."

(***)

Caroline's eyes shot open at the sudden intrusion of daylight once more. A man stumbled in to the tent, cursing up a storm. The flaps closed and he spat in the direction of the entrance. "Fucking Indians!" he screamed.

"Klaus?" Caroline said.

He turned and glared at her, angry and full of wrath. "Oh fucking perfect! Just who I wanted to be stuck with! You Caroline Forbes have been a fucking thorn in my side!"

* * *

**Oh man, Klaus is not a happy camper. He's got a big heist to worry about now what?!  
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**And Elijah you old dog. Haha. What's that about? **

**Sorry for the lack of Klaroline, but I promise promise PROMISE that next chapter will totally be worth it.  
**

*****I got a review on this chapter about someone feeling uncomfortable with my racial terms. I thought I would update this chapter to put a small note in.**

**I would really really really love to point out the fact that in no way, shape or form do I tolerate racism. I think this is a confusing time in our history and there was a lot of misunderstanding of what Indians were. The words that I use are true to how I feel the Cowboys would think about them back then. However, as the story progresses I think you'll start to see an unexpected bond start to take place***  
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**Please review! Let me know what you think! REVIEW!  
**

_**References:  
**_

_***Wasichu - White Man**_

_***Pejula Wacasa - Medicine Man  
**_

**_*Inyuk-Chuk - Chief_  
**


	8. Rawhide

**Hi. Hi Guys! So this next chapter just flew right out of me. Teehee. Don't get used to it. Actually, I take that back, cause the next chapter is going to come flyin' out of me as well! I have a ton of inspiration right now. **

**Someone asked what Hiawatha means. I believe it's an Indian's name. A movie. All of my Chapter titles are going to be either a Book or Movie, or both.  
**

**Some of you are looking forward to seeing who Elijah married. I thought it was pretty obvious, but this chapter clears it up for you. =)  
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**To Izzy - I do hope that you continue to read. I hope you understand that this is a Western, and a period piece and this is how white people treated Indians back in the day. It's not pretty...but it's accurate.  
**

**Thanks again to Angel and Mimi, or how I'm going to refer to them from now on, Mingel! =) You two are the best!  
**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter. We're getting soooo close to some very lovely Klaroline interaction.  
**

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**Chapter 7: Rawhide**

**Apache Camp  
**

"I'm sorry?" she asked, unclear of where his hostility toward her was coming from.

"You! This never would've happened if you just would've behaved," he was pacing back and forth, his hands tied behind his back, kicking and screaming like a small ungrateful child.

"Oh yes, I forgot, it was my intention to get captured," she shouted back at him, her words dripping with sarcasm. She rose to her feet. If they were going to have a row, she would stand up to him, literally. How dare he blame her for all of this. "And might I remind you, that _this_ never would've happened if your filthy brother hadn't kidnapped me to begin with."

Klaus turned and took two large steps toward her and she flinched slightly at his intrusion. He was so close now, his jaw clenched and his breathing heavy against her cheek. He glared down with his maniacal eyes piercing right through her. He lowered his voice to a dangerous tone and whispered, "We should've just let them kill you."

She looked up at him through furrowed brows, doing her best to show she wasn't afraid. She searched his eyes, trying to rationalize why he would say something like that. She understood that they meant nothing to each other now, but it wasn't that long ago that she meant the world to him. "Then why are you here?" Caroline whispered back and shook her head slightly.

The room seemed smaller now as the two of them stood toe to toe. Klaus' fire simmered, and his jaw unclenched. He didn't know why he was there, why he gave in to his brother's ridiculous rescue mission. At the time it was to ensure there weren't any hiccups in his plan but now, as he was looking at her, he couldn't help but think there was a small part of him that wanted to be there. That wanted to help her.

He took a step back from her and the tension in the room breathed a sigh of relief. "You can thank my idiot brothers," he told her and turned to find his own place against the wall. She followed suit and slid back down to the ground.

They sat in silence for some time, watching the fire and sneaking the occasional glance toward one another. It was beginning to get dark outside, the light shining through the opening, not as bright as it once was.

Caroline heard Klaus mumble something under his breath. Something about a "train" followed with "what are we gonna do now?" His anger came in waves, one minute he was still and the next he was up on his feet again pacing and swearing. Clearly this little rescue mission was more than just a small inconvenience to Klaus.

She wasn't brave enough to talk to him. She preferred the silence over the heated argument that would surely take place if she questioned him. She'd had enough of his threats and vicious words. Caroline was brave, but she knew when it was best to just keep her mouth shut and leave it well enough alone.

The fire was almost out, the chill of the evening started to prickle against Caroline's skin. Her hands were sore and she wanted nothing more than to stretch her arms and relieve the tension that had settled in her elbows. Hunger was overtaking her again, and she desperately needed water.

Klaus glanced at Caroline, only now really taking in her appearance. Her clothes were filthy and her blonde hair had fallen out and was cascading down her face. She had been dwindled down to a shadow of the strong and fiery woman he had first encountered. How long had it been since she'd had something to eat?

He knew it wasn't her fault that they were in this predicament. He was doing that thing that Elijah always told him he had a habit of doing. Projecting? Yes, he was projecting his anger on to the poor girl. Though she was still an inconvenience, he began to feel a small amount of remorse for what she was going through.

With this new found epiphany, he stood to his feet and walked to the entrance.

"Klaus, what are you doing?" She heard her whisper.

"Just keep quiet," he spat back at her.

She grumbled something spiteful under her breath causing him to smirk and shake his head.

_Seems like the fire hasn't completely dwindled,_ he reckoned.

He approached the entrance and shouted out, "Hey! Can we get the girl something to eat or drink? You don't expect her to be a cooperative hostage by starving her to death, do you?"

Caroline's head shot up at the sound of Klaus' request. She was certain she'd heard him wrong, but when he turned around to face her he gave a half shrug as if to say, _I tried_, before he sat back down.

_This was a peculiar turn of events_, Caroline thought. Why the sudden change of heart? Her over enthusiastic optimism had her perking up. Perhaps Klaus wasn't as dishonorable as he wanted her to think.

A moment later, the flaps opened and Elena walked briskly toward her, offering the same sweet smile from earlier and knelt down beside her.

"About time," Klaus grumbled.

Elena reached around and loosened Caroline's ropes and Caroline ran her hands down her arms allowing the blood to flow properly through her weakened body. She offered her hand to Caroline and said, "Come."

Caroline stole one last glance at Klaus who remained silent but stared intently as the two women exited the tepee. It was only after they left she heard Klaus holler, "I'll just stay right here, then!"

(***)

**Ten Miles East of Abilene**

The Demon Dogs were set and ready for the impending heist. Raised up on higher ground so they could see the train tracks below, the Salvatore boys, Lexi and Rebekah were all anxious and excited to get the job done.

"Where the hell are they?" Damon huffed. "They should be here by now!"

"I'm sure they're coming, Klaus has been planning this heist for too long to just not show up," Stefan said.

"And what if they don't?" Lexi added, her horse restless and stirring in place. "The train's gonna be here any minute." Just then the sound of a whistle echoed and a cloud of smoke billowed in the distance.

"Goddammit! Klaus where the hell are you?"

"I think we should just go back. Maybe there's a new plan," Rebekah suggested.

"Or maybe something happened to them and they're dead, either way I think we should keep with the plan."

"Damon, it's suicide, there aren't enough of us," said Lexi.

"There's a shit load of silver on that train, and I want it!" Damon didn't wait, he kicked his spurs in to the side of his horse and road off at top speed.

Stefan and Rebekah took a final glance at each other, "Well, here's to nothin'," and followed after Damon.

Lexi stood back, she scanned her surroundings one last time to make sure the others really weren't coming. "This is a bad idea," she said and dashed off.

**Apache Camp**

It felt like hours before someone returned to the tepee where Klaus remained hostage. He wasn't about to let anyone know it, but he was also beginning to feel the fatigue of no water or food. He also didn't want to admit that he was beginning to worry about Caroline. She had been gone for too long.

It was completely dark now, the fire long burned out. His shoulders sagged as he thought of his treasure of silver whisking by him, Mikael's train making it to Abilene, and all of his hard work going up in smoke. Months of planning gone all because of the Mikaelson men and the woman that distract them.

Not to mention months of having his poor sister infiltrating that filthy brothel. It was her idea, of course, and he hated the idea of any man making his sister their plaything. He had suggested Lexi at first, but she was persistent. He knew she could handle herself, always could, but now it was all for nothing. The thought was sickening, and all he wanted to do was slit every throat of every man that placed a hand on her.

He just hoped the Salvatores and the girls headed back to the cabin. They needed to be very strategic about their next move. The silver was still under the custody of the Mayor, surely it would be in a bank or possibly at the Lockwood Manor, just in his reach. It was going to take a lot more planning to pull off their next move.

He could hear the low mumbles of the Natives scurrying outside, and shadows formed on the tepee walls as a fire was clearly blazing just beyond the tent. He stood up and stretched his shoulders back and pushed them forward, trying to stay awake, when Elijah entered and threw a torch on the fire.

"Elijah, its about goddamn time!"

"Yes, well negotiations with Inyuk-Chuk took much longer than I anticipated." Elijah untied Klaus' wrist, but hours in a dark, cold tent didn't exhaust Klaus the way it had intended. The moment his hands were free, Klaus brought a hard right hook into Elijah's chin.

Elijah stumbled back. The punch wasn't enough to knock him down, but he rubbed his jaw and opened his mouth to ensure it was still in place. "I'm sure you think I deserve that."

"Damn right you deserved it. What the fuck is going on, Elijah?"

Elijah ran his fingers through his mustache, twirling the tip; a nervous habit he had acquired. He wasn't sure where to begin, so he decided to let Klaus take the lead. "What do you want to know?"

"For starters, why don't you tell me who the lucky lady is?"

"I'm sure you saw her, she came to collect Caroline earlier in the evening. Her name is Elena."

Klaus remembered her. She certainly was beautiful, Klaus could see why his brother would want to bed her, but marry her? "Okay, so what's with the marriage? Why not just fuck the squaw and go along with your day?"

Klaus didn't see it coming. Elijah's fist flew straight at his nose, with no time to defend himself. He heard the bone crack and he dropped to his knees, which elicited a plethora of choice words.

"I would advise you again, dear Brother, to _not_ speak of my wife that way," he said threateningly.

Klaus was seeing stars and blood was running from his nose. In one quick movement he cracked his nose back in place and let out a furious roar. Typically he would keep fighting, but he rarely saw his brother like this and didn't want to fuel his anger any further. Elijah may be The Gentleman, but he was a nasty SOB when provoked.

"Okay," he continued and spat out the coppery flavor of his own blood, "How did you end up being married to the girl?"

"Remember the Amarillo job?"

"How could I forget it, that's where I got this." Klaus placed a hand on his stomach. "Bullet lodged in to my ribcage, thought I was gonna bleed out for sure. Spent a month laid up in that damn cabin."

"Yes, and some months before that I had been making a few square deals with this tribe. It led to me spending quite a bit of time with them."

"I get it. Pretty Native girl," was all Klaus added, and didn't need more explanation than that. He sniffed and rose to his knees. "But, don't these people have a say in who their women marry?"

"Not the Apaches, the woman choose who they want," Elijah said.

"And she chose you?"

"And she chose me." Elijah hid his expressions well with his stoic demeanor, but Klaus could hear the smile in his voice. He nearly rolled his eyes. Klaus was a firm believer that love was an Outlaws greatest weakness.

"So what does that have to do with Amarillo?"

"Well you don't think you got better all because of me, do you? Elena is also the daughter of the Medicine Man. She taught me a few things, it's what saved your life. If it wasn't for her knowledge, you wouldn't be alive today."

Klaus didn't like the sound of that. He hated being indebted to people. He hated even more the idea of being indebted to the Apache. "I suppose I owe your wife a thank you," he offered begrudgingly through clenched teeth.

"Not necessary. She wouldn't understand why you would need to thank her. You are family to her now."

"Fine, probably better that way. So what negotiations were needed to be made?" He continued with his next question.

"Although she was able to marry me, the Apache's don't take their women being married to an outsider lightly. I owe them a gift. I was going to give them a part of my earning after the heist today."

Klaus scoffed at this. "Well that's not much of an option anymore, is it?"

"No, it's not."

"So what now?"

"We wait. They'll have to get their bounty at a later time."

"And they're okay with this?"

"They understand." Elijah headed for the exit, and Klaus knew that was all the information he was going to get from Elijah today. "Come on, there's food and drink available outside."

The tribe had gathered around a large fire in the center of their camp. The drums had began and subtle chanting filled the night. Klaus scanned the crowd. The Indians held the two white men under a watchful eye as they approached, and Klaus returned the stares defensively. No matter how close his brother had become with the tribe, he wasn't about to let his guard down only to let them get the jump on him. He was still an outsider.

In the mix of dark hair, feathers and buckskin, she stuck out like a sore thumb. A wave of blonde hair, and pale white skin that reflected the yellow flames from the fire. She was sitting with Elijah's new wife and after two days of glowers and anger, it was nice to see that Caroline was smiling and laughing. When she glanced across the crowd and made eye contact with him, her smile vanished. She quickly turned toward Elena and giggled, whispering something while pointing at her nose.

Caroline obviously found his appearance entertaining and Klaus brought his sleeve to his nose to remove more of his blood. He deserved her chortles, he knew it. He hadn't been the most delightful company, ruthless really. But, what did she expect from him? He wasn't a gentleman. He wasn't some knight and shining armor. He was a bandit. A killer. He would never change or apologize for it. He shook his head, trying to decide if the girl deserved an apology. Of course she did, but it was more a question of him being able to offer the apology.

When he caught her gaze again, she gave him a small smile. He wasn't sure where the sudden change of heart came from, but he didn't take any time to figure it out. Klaus started toward her, keen to make at least one wrong right, when the same young Indian from before, Taza was the name Elijah used, approached Caroline.

He handed her a plate of food, and she bowed her head in thanks. He gestured to the seat beside her and when she nodded and he sat, Klaus' jaw instinctively clenched. The idea that Caroline would tolerate that savage made his blood boil. He tried to tell himself it wasn't Taza warming up to Caroline in particular, but that he would feel protective if it were any Indian trying to cozy up to _any_ white woman. That just wasn't natural. But it was no use, he knew he simply wanted her for his own.

"Seems Caroline is getting along with the Natives," Elijah's voice interrupted his trance.

Klaus just rolled his eyes, knowing very well what Elijah was implying. He ignored his brother and walked briskly to where Caroline was sitting. If anyone was going to cozy up to the blonde, it was going to be him.

* * *

**Seriously? I could've kept writing, but I decided this was a good place to stop. **

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	9. Appaloosa

**OMG! This took me forever to write. I just needed it to be perfect and perfection is just the worst when you have so much story to write and you're only 9 chapters in. Anyhoo, I hope it was worth the wait. **

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**Chapter 8: Appaloosa  
**

**The Apache Camp  
**

Caroline and Elena giggled at the sight of Klaus. He and Elijah must've had a tussle by the look of his bloody nose. She hoped Elijah put him in his place. Served him right for being a complete neanderthal.

"May I sit?"

Speaking of neanderthals.

She nodded for Taza to sit. She never thought much about Indians, and when she did it was always in a negative light, but she really enjoyed Elena's company and Taza seemed harmless. He had a nice strong jaw and soft brown eyes, he was actually quite pleasant to look at. She knew Klaus was watching her, waiting for her to dismiss the man, but when she caught glimpse of his reaction, she couldn't resist the temptation to see him sweat a little over her new found friendship.

"I am sorry we kept you tied long," Taza offered in his broken English.

"Oh, don't even worry about it," she purred and batted her eyelashes. It was actually a complete inconvenience, but he was serving a purpose for the moment, so she would continue with her false flirtations. She saw Klaus approach out of the corner of her eye; she was barely listening to Taza anymore.

"I shot deer you're eating. Arrow straight through heart."

"Oh, Taza, that's wonderful," she giggled. She had no idea what he was talking about. Klaus looked determined and Caroline didn't want to hear what he had to say. She was finally enjoying herself, after all that she'd been through, and wanted to keep it that way. Before Klaus could say anything she turned to Taza and asked, "Would you like to go for a walk?" and gave him her full attention now. He seemed a bit stunned but nodded and stood and reached down to help her up. She smiled politely and walked arm and arm with him and away from Klaus.

To say Klaus was taken aback would be an understatement. What did she think she was doing? A bit of cat and mouse, he thought. Well, he'd be damned if she thought he'd play along. Klaus wasn't some ordinary cat, roaming the streets for his next meal. No, Klaus took whatever he wanted, and if people played games with him then things didn't end well for them. The problem he had with Caroline was that he wanted to both kiss her fiercely and throttle her to death at the same time.

He heard a small voice clear its throat, and he glanced down to see Elijah's new wife smiling up at him. "Would you like to sit?" she asked. Klaus was too busy pondering about his next move with Caroline to acknowledge the girl with a response. He watched Caroline and Taza walk over and stand under a tree. His mare was standing there, he was happy to see that they unsaddled the poor horse, most likely let her graze the fields that surrounded their camp too.

"You are fond of Caroline, yes?"

"I'm sorry?" He wasn't in the mood for conversation. Caroline stroked the horse's nose and wrapped her arm around it's neck. She laughed again, causing Klaus to roll his eyes at her silliness. He couldn't imagine Taza saying anything funny enough to warrant that sort of response; not to mention the complete lack of amusement on Taza's face. Clearly he wasn't in on the joke.

"Caroline, you are fond of her?" Elena asked again.

He heard her this time, and shook the view in font of him from his mind and scowled at Elena. "She's pretty to look at, but I wouldn't say I'm _fond_ of her. She's a pistol. And a pain in my ass." He sat down, and another petite Indian girl, maybe only eleven or twelve years old, handed him a plate of food. His stomach rumbled at the sight of it. He was starving.

Elena just gave him that same smile. The one that could make any man grow weak, and stupid in his brother's case. "You have history? Caroline and your family?"

He kept a watchful eye on the obnoxious couple under the tree and indulged Elena with a response this time. "Yeah, we knew each other when we were children."

She was watching him closely now, he could sense it. He tried to keep his eyes on the fire instead of on Caroline. He didn't want Elena to have anymore ideas of how he was feeling, especially when he didn't know himself. He decided to change the subject. "How is my brother Kol doing?"

Elena knew he was finished with their conversation. "He is mending."

"Good."

"You and your brother are very different from Elijah."

Klaus couldn't help but laugh at this. Yes, he and Kol were made up of something completely different than Elijah. Elijah was calm and put together, while he and Kol threw caution to the wind. They were both impulsive and selfish, never thinking about the consequences to their actions. "Elijah keeps things...balanced," he said.

Elena nodded and lowered her head and smiled. How she felt about him was evident on her face. She truly loved him, and if Klaus' bloody nose was any indication, he was certain Elijah truly loved her as well. However, it wasn't just love, but he could also sense respect and awe. This was a familiar feeling. As much as his brother's voice of reason was the forever bane to his existence, it was also what kept him grounded. He needed Elijah. He would always need his brother.

"Taza stop!"

Klaus' eyes darted up at the sound of Caroline's pleas. She was up against the tree and Taza was violently close to her. Part of him wanted to let her suffer the consequences of her actions. Why did she think she could flirt with the beast, and not think he would expect something from her in return? They do not live by the rules of modern civilization. If there was anything they had in common, it was this mentality, but call it a weakness, but treating women like they were property was not in Klaus' character.

Taza grabbed her wrist, foiling her attempt to to hit him. He growled impatiently under her breath and looked at Elena, "Is anyone going to stop him or do I need to make a scene?"

"Taza, is not the most gentle. He's feared in the village because he is strong and powerful. A very good leader. There are not many men that would dare to stand up to him. They call him ba'cho. It means wolf."

"I can appreciate a man in power. But no woman should..."

"Please, Taza," she cried again. Klaus saw the fear in her eyes this time. It looked as though he would need to make a scene.

"Goddammit," he grumbled, and made his way to the girl duress.

"Please be careful, brother," he heard Elena say.

He moved quickly to the tree and placed a hand on Taza's shoulder. "I don't think the lady wants you to touch her anymore."

(***)

**Long Ago in 1846_  
_**

_"Hey!"_

_"Stop it!"_

_"Give it back!"_

_Rebekah reached as high as she could, her doll's feet dangling at her fingertips. The bigger boy pushed her back, laughing at her attempt to take back the toy. "Oh, but Dolly wants to fly," he said and tossed her in the air. Rebekah let out a shriek as the doll almost hit the ground before the mean boy grabbed it just in time._

_"Doooon't! She doesn't want to fly," she cried. "Give her back! Give her back!"_

_The boy just laughed before tossing her again only this time, letting the doll fall to the ground. "Oh it looks like Dolly is dead, we should bury her." He began to kick dirt, soiling the doll's pretty white dress. Tears streamed down Rebekah's face, as she raced to rescue Dolly from her captor's thoughtlessness. He pushed Rebekah away, tossing the little girl down on to the ground._

_"Hey!"_

_The bully looked up in time for a small fist to come crashing down on to his face. He stumbled and fell firmly on his back. Little feet began to kick dirt in his face. "How do you like it, you awful boy?"_

_The boy sputtered and spewed, bringing his hands to cover his face and cowering from the onslaught of dirt and debris slamming in to him. "Knock it off you little pipsqueak." He rose to his feet and grabbed his assailant before pushing them down next to Rebekah. He was furious. Red crept up his neck and covered his face, he was embarrassed and furious. "What the hell do you think you're doing Caroline?" he screamed._

_"You better just leave, before I get my father, or worse, Klaus," she spat at him._

_"I'm not scared of Klaus."_

_"You should be," was all the boy heard before his head was slamming in to the nearby wall. Klaus held the boy firmly in place. He wiggled and flailed, trying to escape Klaus' grasp. "Go away. Leave my family alone, and I might think about not beating your face in every time I see you," he threatened and released the bully with one final push in to the wall._

_The kid scrambled away. He glared at the three of them and said, "It's just a stupid doll." Klaus flinched forward with his fist and the boy let out a small whimper before running full speed away._

(***)

**Meanwhile, Back at the Apache Camp**

"I said, I don't think the lady wants you touching her anymore," he said and grabbed Taza's shoulder even tighter.

Taza turned around slowly. He looked down at Klaus' hand on his shoulder, giving off the impression that he didn't appreciate the White Man's hand on him. He glared up at Klaus and spewed something in his native tongue. Whatever was said, wasn't pleasant, and Taza's forehead crashed in to Klaus' already broken nose.

Klaus would be outnumbered in a moment. He knew the smart thing to do would be to take a step back and "come in peace" sort-a-speak, but the pain in his face from the unexpected attack had him rushing forward. His hands grabbed Taza by the waist and he tackled him to the ground.

Caroline let out a scream as she watched Klaus' fists slam in to Taza over and over again. He was going to kill him, she knew it. It was one thing to hear about his rage, or even hear it for herself, like she did in the cabin, but to see it was an awful sight. He didn't seem like the same person. It was as though all of the frustration and anger of the day's events were plummeting forward and on to Taza's face.

"Stop! Stop!" She tried to scream at him but it was no use, he was deaf with rage.

A sharp jab to his kidneys from another Indian, weakened him enough and he was instantly on his back. The hands of the onlookers were now holding him down and in place. Taza was unconscious, and the red that shadowed his eyes began to fade. This was it, he thought, they would kill him for sure.

"Brothers, let him go," Elijah spoke and placed a gentle hand on one of their shoulders. For some reason, they did as he said. They released Klaus and Caroline ran to his side. He wasn't hurt. He didn't have a scratch on him besides his nose beginning to bleed again, but it was her fault this happened. She was to blame for Taza's advances and Klaus' rash behavior. She could feel tears start to well up, but a hidden memory of Klaus not approving of crying came rushing to the surface and washed them away before they could fall.

"Caroline, it would be best if you took Klaus somewhere else," Elijah spoke.

There was no need for further explanation. Klaus would not be the most welcomed guest after what just took place. She helped him to his feet but Klaus forced his arm out of her grasp. He dusted off his pants, reached down to pick up his disheveled hat and strolled away in to the darkness. She grabbed the sides of her skirt and followed.

The moon was bright that night causing his eyes to adjust quickly to his surroundings. Klaus stomped in no direction in particular, his hands still in fists and furious.

"Klaus, wait," she hollered after him. "Let me come with you." He imagined if he turned around he would see a small blonde running after him, wanting to join in on the adventure. But there was no adventure. This was a mess. The entire day was a fucking mess.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He turned to face her making her bump abruptly in to his chest. She looked up at him pitifully before taking a step back.

"I...I don't know. I was just so mad at you, and you've been nothing but unkind to me. I guess I thought you sort of deserved it? I..." She wasn't making any sense. If you would've asked her an hour ago why she thought it was a good idea to flirt with the large, native man, she would've said it was to make him jealous. But, now, after seeing all the chaos she caused, it just seemed stupid and childish.

"I should've just let him have his way with you?"

"See! There you go again, saying spiteful things just to hurt me! Why save me, Klaus? Again? Why care at all about my fate?" she yelled. Why was it so easy for him to make her angry? What was it about this man that made her want to smack him across the face and then rub her hand against his cheek to soothe the sting?

"I _don't_ care, Caroline! Maybe I just didn't want that man thinking he could have whatever he wanted. Maybe the idea of some savage..." he trailed off.

"Some savage doing what, Klaus?" She questioned. "Tell me why you stopped him." She was in his space now. She knew there was more to him than he led on. As much as he frightened her, she also knew there was still that same small boy that cared deeply for her, that gave her the simple bracelet that still graced her wrist.

What did she want to hear from him? Why was she being so persistent? What did it matter why she stopped him? A million more questions ran through his mind. He had done a lot of bad in his past; wronged a lot of people. He's killed so many that he's lost track of the amount of blood that he's washed from his hands. His family was the only thing he cared about. Protecting them. Loving only them. Caroline was never supposed to be a part of that again. She was supposed to grow up and get married and have kids of her own and never think about him. But that damn bracelet. She still wore it, which meant she still thought about him. He glanced at her wrist, the silver rope glinting in the moonlight.

Caroline was asking him to tell her why he cared about her, but she never took the time to ask herself why she still cared for him. If she had any common sense she would stay quiet. She would just leave it alone. There was no reason, other than their current circumstance, for them to owe anything to each other. Why uncover pain from the past? Why worry or care about how two small children grew to become the people they are today?

But she couldn't help how she felt in that moment. The risk of understanding him was something she would allow herself to take. She wanted to find a way to nestle herself back in to the comfort of his friendship. And she knew he felt the same.

"Tell me," she offered again. She took another step toward him and placed a hand on his face.

He reached up and gently grabbed her wrist and ran his hand over hers. He looked in her eyes. He knew he was showing her more vulnerability than he intended, but this was Caroline. It may have been over a decade since they played together in the woods, but the bond that they shared was still there. "Caroline, I..."

Elijah's voice rang in to the night. "KLAUS?!"

The two of them parted, and Caroline sighed. She didn't get an answer and she wasn't sure she ever would now.

"We're over here," Klaus said, but kept his eyes on Caroline.

"KLAUS, GET BACK HERE! IT'S REBEKAH! SHE'S HURT!"

* * *

**Oh gawd, what's wrong with Rebekah? OH NOOOOOS! **

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	10. The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

**Two chapter updates in a weekend and I'm spent! **

**I felt like I kind of owed you guys since I made you wait so long for an update. **

**Thanks to my Mingle (mimi and angel) you two are the best. Always ready and willing to see if my story makes sense.  
**

**_Guest: "QUESTION: how Elijah knows Rebekah is hurt when they are not together, they didn't have cell phones or something so how he knows?"_ - I loved this question! And I had a feeling people would be wondering about this. No, I haven't gone off the delusional bandwagon and jumped forward a few decades. They don't have cell phones, and the Indians didn't send out a smoke signal either. LOL. You'll see how they found out about Rebekah. =) **

**Love you guys! And believe it or not, your reviews really are helping me mold this story.  
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**Please enjoy, and as always, I would love a review of the chapter.  
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**Chapter 9:The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly  
**

**The Cabin**

"You goddamn, stupid, fucking piece of scum! _You_ did this? This happened because of _you_!" Stefan launched off the steps of the cabin toward his brother. He tackled Damon to the ground and mercilessly started throwing punches at him. Damon covered his face. Punch _anything_ but his beautiful face.

"Brother, stop," he tried to plead. It was no use, Stefan was beyond enraged. The woman that he cared most for in this world was laying in a crumpled mess. They never should've done that job without the Mikaelsons. They never should've risked their lives for some silly silver. Everything they worked so hard to obtain, and for what? So they could rob a man that they never had any qualms with to begin with?

Stefan threw one last punch and Damon sacrificed his left eye in order to gain the upper hand. He used the opportunity to grab his brother by the shirt and push him off. "Shit, Stefan, just calm down, would ya?"

"You don't get to tell me to calm down!" He launched for him again, this time Damon was prepared and threw a fist in to Stefan's stomach.

Stefan collapsed with his back flat against the ground. His anger moving toward grief as he thought of poor Rebekah lying in there with a gunshot wound to her stomach. "What were we thinking?" he whimpered, this time taking some of the blame off of Damon.

"We weren't thinking at all!" Lexi had remained quiet after the ordeal. She knew it was a bad idea, everyone knew that it was a bad idea. She let the brothers duke it out, because Lord knew it had been a long time coming. But there was no use on putting blame on each other. They all played a hand in the outcome. "You," she pointed at Damon, "raced off without thinkin'. And we _all_ followed! What did we expect was going to happen? That robbery took months to plan. It would've worked perfectly if we had everyone with us. But, no, we let greed and pride drive us to this. And now Rebekah is probably going to die, unless we can get her to a damn doctor."

"We can't take her to a doctor, Lexi, we just tried to rob a fucking train! Unless you want us all to go to jail!" Damon spat.

"Well, maybe we can sneak her in to The Broken Gospel, Sage would..."

"Are you kidding? Sage would take one look at Rebekah and turn her away. You don't become a Madam of her caliber by taking in strays. Especially ones that walked out on her."

Damon was right. Lexi hated it when Damon was right. But none of them were surgeons. Elijah was the closest thing they had to a doctor, well his Native American beau was..."Oh, of course!" Why didn't she think of it sooner?

"Of course, what?"

"I know who can help."

"Who?"

"A doctor. Well a sort of doctor." Lexi knew this was a secret of Elijah's that needed to stay a secret. The only reason she even knew of Elena was because she was the trusted messenger after the Amarillo gig. He trusted her enough to retrieve Elena after Klaus was taken out. She wasn't about to betray him now. "It doesn't matter who," she told the Salvatores, "All you need to know is that it's someone who can help. Now, you boys stay here. Keep pressure on her wound." Lexi strode toward her horse, and quickly mounted. "Make sure she has plenty of water, and change her bandages every half hour."

"Wait. Why can't we take her to them?" Stefan asked.

"And risk moving her? I don't think that's a good idea." Really what she was thinking was, _risk the Salvatores knowing about the Apache Camp? That just had bad written all over it._

"I'll be back soon, Stefan, okay? We won't let her die, I promise." Lexi shot out of their camp. Her horse's hooves gripping the soil and blazing a trail set for the Apaches. Hopefully, they're still there. Hopefully, they'll remember her.

(***)

**Apache Camp**

Klaus couldn't breathe. He could see them, all staring at him, waiting for him to react. Waiting for him to hit someone or smash his fist in to the closest object. But, he just stood there. He felt sick and panicked, not understanding what exactly happened. He watched Lexi's mouth moving as she explained the accident. He heard her say they followed through with the heist even though they weren't with them. He heard her say something about Damon leading them all anyway. When she said Rebekah got shot, he stopped listening. The sickening image replaying over and over, each time adding a new and violent way it could've happened. He fell to the ground, his legs no longer having the ability to do their job.

"Klaus? Klaus, stay with us," Elijah crouched down next to his brother. "We can't think the worst. We have to get Elena to Bekah as soon as possible. She needs us."

Elijah's soothing voice washed over him. Of course he needed to be strong. Panic, anger and most definitely revenge, can happen later. He nodded at Elijah and stood back up. "Go get Elena. Lexi, help me gather the horses."

"And me?"

Caroline's small voice came out of nowhere. What was he supposed to do with her? Bring her with them? Make her stay here? It was the better option. He needed to focus on Rebekah, and Caroline's presence would only distract him. Maybe he would send her home. There was no reason for her to be here any longer. Everything was shit and it didn't matter if she told her entire town who they were, if Rebekah died, it all would've been for nothing anyway.

"I think it's best if I have Lexi take you back to Mystic Haven."

Caroline blinked twice and shook her head. Was she hearing him correctly? "You want to...to take me home?" She wasn't sure why this felt wrong. Why suddenly she wanted to stay with him more than anything. Hostage be damned, she wasn't leaving.

"I think it would be best. You don't need to be here anymore."

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. No, I don't want to go back to Mystic Haven. I want to stay here with you and your family."

"Caroline..." he started.

"No. Klaus, I'm staying with you." She wouldn't take no for an answer. She was a part of this now and he couldn't just shoo her away like some pesky insect. She just got them back in her life, and although they hadn't had the chance to talk about what that meant, she wasn't about to lose them again.

He nodded and couldn't help commending her bravery. She was strong and full of light, something their family could need a bit more of in that moment. "Stay here with Kol then," he seceded and turned to leave.

"Klaus," she said before he could walk away. He stopped but didn't turn around. "Whatever happens, remember that I'll be here when you get back."

She watched his shoulders fall, but it would be the only response she would get until they saw each other again. She would do her duty and stay with Kol, while the others helped Rebekah.

(***)

Elena found Caroline before she left with the others and informed her of Kol's condition. She gave her the necessary instructions on how to care for him. He needed to drink some concoction to help with the infection three times a day. She hadn't seen him at all since they'd been there, she had only heard he had an arrow pierce through his shoulder. As much as she despised the animal, she didn't think anyone should have to suffer that kind of pain.

The next morning she approached the tepee with two large Apache men. The tribe was kind enough to offer assistance, knowing that breaking the news to Kol wouldn't be an easy task. When she neared the entrance she stopped at the sound of talking inside. Was that talking or was it...giggling? She wasn't a doctor, but she felt like that sort of sound was the last thing to be expected from a wounded man. She placed her ear close to the canvas to get a better gauge on the sound. She heard the low rumble of a male's voice and then the soft lilt of a female voice, no, make that two female voices. What in the world?

Just then the canvas flap opened and Caroline was standing face to face with two young native girls. One placed a hand over her mouth to hide the wide grin displayed on her face, while the other pulled her dress up to cover her shoulder.

_Scandalous!_ These poor girls, what did he_ do_ to them?

They scurried by her, giggling, and she rolled her eyes before entering the tent. She wasn't sure what she was going to find but was relieved to see Kol tucked under the blankets. Naked or not, she was relieve she wouldn't have to see.

"Caroline! What a pleasant surprise," he said through a wicked grin.

"I suppose those girls weren't here for medical aid?"

"Oh they aided me alright," he said and waggled his eyebrows at her.

"You're revolting," she responded and shook her head at him.

"And you're delightful. You would definitely make me feel better than those squaws ever could."

She ignored his not so subtle advances. "Here!" She handed him Elena's remedy. "Drink up!"

"Ugh, speaking of revolting, how long do I need to keep taking this shit? I'm feeling fine," he shrugged, "More than fine, actually." Caroline understood quite well what he was eluding to.

"Yes, I get that you're feeling much better, Kol. You still need to drink it."

He grabbed the small bowl from Caroline and began to sip it, a grimace wiping that smug smile off his face. "Awful." He said. "So, what do I owe the pleasure? Why are you here and not the lovely Elena? Elijah really hit the jackpot with that one."

Here it goes. He needed to know, as easy as it would be to just keep the news from him, she knew he would figure it out eventually. It would be better to hear it from her than someone else. "Kol, you need to know something."

"What's that, kitten? Have you realized that I'm the only man for you? Are we running away together tonight?" He purred.

She gave a small smile, which Kol found uncharacteristic. He suddenly felt a pang in his stomach and knew something was wrong. "Caroline..." he urged.

"It's...it's Rebekah," she began.

"What about Rebekah," he asked cautiously and swallowed the lump forming in his throat.

She neared him and took a seat at the end of his bed. His thick brows furrowed. "There was an accident, Kol, she was shot."

He sat up abruptly and started to lift the blankets. She placed a hand on his to halt him. "She's not here. There's nothing you can do, Kol. Just sit back."

"Fuck you!" He screamed. "Who are you to tell me about my family? Where's Elijah? Where's Klaus?"

"They've gone to take care of her. They took Elena and all we can do is hope and pray for the best." If she knew one thing about taming a beast, it was that you kept your voice quiet and level.

He wrestled away from her in an another attempt to leave. She didn't want to do it but he left her no choice, he was too strong for her to hold him down. She gripped his shoulder where the arrow made its mark and he let out a guttural scream. "You stupid bitch," he yelped and rolled back to his side, sucking air through his teeth.

She stood from the bed and widened her stance. "Kol there are two very large Apaches outside. They won't let you leave."

He stood to face her and Caroline winced. She waited for a blow from him. She had never been hit before, besides the unexpected wallop from the Indian that captured her, but before Kol could swing, his body swayed and he sat back on the bed. "What the hell?" he asked.

She let out the breath she was holding in. "I put a sedative in your medicine," she told him. "We couldn't have you injuring yourself even more by running off."

Kol wanted to fight. He wanted to smack the blonde bitch, but could barely muster the strength to lie back down. His mind grew heavy with thoughts of his sister. He felt helpless and worthless in that moment. "Rebekah..." was all he said before sleep finally took over.

Caroline walked over to the fire pit and began to stack logs. She would build a fire, see about preparing some food for him, stay there for the day until he woke back up and she would try again. He wanted his family, and that was understandable, and she would do her best to fill their shoes.

_Please, Lord,_ she whispered, _let her be alright._

* * *

**Okay, I'm gonna take a little break now. I hope two chapters has been sufficient this weekend. =) So glad so many of you are taking a liking to this story. I'm excited for all of you to see what happens next!  
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**Reviews are the fuel to the crazy little story. So please be so kind as to tell me what you thought of this chapter!  
**

**Follow me if you dare on Tumblr at jomosjinglebells  
**


	11. Dances with Wolves

**Hello everyone! Okay, so this is about double the size of my normal chapters. But I figured it was time to start making the chapters a bit meatier. **

**Thanks Mingel...once again for being my OTPBeta.  
**

**I don't have many notes besides to let you know that I plan on writing one more large chapter before taking a brief hiatus. I am going to do a First Time (as in sex) Drabble set, much like my First Kiss Drabbles, before the winter premiere. =)  
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**Anyhoo, hope you like the chapter. Reviews are the best! **

* * *

**Chapter 10: Dances with Wolves  
**

**The Cabin  
**

Stefan came out of the cabin, running his hands through his unruly hair. His face was pale and his eyes were red. He'd been sitting at the edge of Bekah's bed, trying to keep her calm; trying to make her smile. He whispered reassurances while sweat beaded off her face and her breath became ragged.

"It'll be okay, Bekah, I promise. Help is on the way."

It was an empty promise, one that he couldn't guarantee. But it was better than letting her think the worst. Time was getting away from them, and she was losing too much blood. He walked over the hill and to the nearby stream with bloody rags in his hands. He needed to get away. He needed time to clear his head. He ran them through the cool water and watched as the dark crimson color escaped the dirty rags and floated down the moonlit stream. Tears raced down his face again, and The Saint let a small prayer escape his lips.

_Please. Please don't let Rebekah die._

At that moment a twig snapped across the stream and then the distinct sound of hooves clicking on the stone covered river bank. His head shot up and he saw three riders come in to view.

"Stefan? We're here. Is Rebekah still with us?" Lexi asked.

_Thank you, _he thought.

"Yes. Barely. Where is the doctor?" He could only see three figures mounted in front of him. He immediately recognized the other two as Klaus and Elijah. "And where the _hell_ have you two been?"

"Take us to our sister, Stefan," Klaus said through gritted teeth. He didn't have time for Stefan's assumptions.

"Just go. I left her with Damon. I'll be right behind you."

The three horses clomped quickly across the stream and passed Stefan. He didn't know how the three of them were going to help, where was the doctor? He watched Elijah's horse go by. A small figure sat behind him, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist and her tasseled moccasins were dangling.

An Indian? Stefan's eyes grew wide with panic before he picked up a rock and threw it as far as he could. He let out a loud cry. "SHE NEEDS A_ REAL_ DOCTOR!" he screamed.

(***)

**The Apache Camp**

Kol groaned as he came to. His head was fuzzy and he blinked rapidly to clear his vision. Where was he again? What the hell happened? As he glanced around the room, allowing his surroundings to come in to focus, he saw her. She was the one to blame for his pounding headache. He scrambled to a sitting position with his hands stretched out. He would strangle her. It was no use however, his head rolled back before he swayed like a pendulum and dropped back down to his pillow.

Caroline stood at the boiling soup over the fire. She heard Kol groan and tensed. "Dear God, Woman, what was in that shit?" he grumbled. "Feels like I drank my way through 10 bottles of whiskey."

"I'm not sure," Caroline said and set down the spoon she was using to stir the soup. "Elena's father gave it to me. He said it would calm you and make what I had to tell you about Rebekah easier."

"Rebekah!" Kol said as the memory of Caroline's news came flooding back to him. He went to sit up again, "I need to go to her. Have you heard anything? What the hell happened?" Caroline was at his bedside immediately and pushed him back down before he could make another rash move.

"Kol, I know it's a shock, and I know you want to be there, but there's nothing either of us can do about it."

His head was too heavy for him to fight her any further. Instead Caroline fluffed the blanket behind him and helped him sit up. "Are you hungry?"

He rolled his eyes. He didn't want to be babied, he wanted to be with his family. "What happened? Can you at least tell me that much?"

She grabbed a small bowl and ladled a helping. "From what I gathered from Lexi's story, Damon Salvatore decided to do the heist without you."

"What? Why the fuck would he do that?"

"Yes, well," she sighed indignantly; tired of his lewd language, "that is still to be discovered."

"Do they know how she got shot?" he asked.

"I believe it was just bad timing. I wasn't in the planning process, but what I understood is she and Stefan both were supposed to retrieve the horses and be support for when you got the train to stop."

He nodded. "Yes, that was the plan."

"Apparently with three men down, someone needed to stop the train and Stefan volunteered, leaving Bekah alone." She handed him the bowl and sat back on the edge of the bed. "After that, nobody really knows what happened. The train was stopped. They started for the silver and heard the gunshot."

"Stop." Kol closed his eyes tightly, he didn't want to hear anymore. How could they all be so stupid? He felt tears prickle his eyes and he fought to hold them back. He didn't want to think the worst and desperately needed to change the subject. "So, Caroline, why are you still here? Even with everything that's going on, Klaus still keeping you captive?"

"Kol, eat your soup," she demanded.

He smiled at her before he brought the bowl to his nose and smelled it, "This ain't gonna knock me out again, is it?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, but maybe you should start with small sips," she teased. "And to answer your question, Klaus was going to send me home and I told him I didn't want to."

Kol didn't seem phased by this. "We're just too much fun for you to leave us?" he snickered and took a tentative sip of the soup.

"Believe it or not," she started in all seriousness, "I didn't want to leave because I felt like I just got my family back."

"You mean, Klaus," Kol responded nonchalantly and took another sip.

Caroline felt her face flush. "No. I mean all of you," she said shyly.

Kol rolled his eyes. "Caroline, I doubt you've missed me."

"Well you _are_ the most vile person I've ever met, but I liked the boy you once were, I'm sure he's still in there somewhere," she said to Kol but was inevitably thinking about Klaus.

"If I remember correctly you took every chance you could to knock me on my ass and show me who's boss."

"Yes, and you deserved it."

"Probably." He shrugged. "And what about Klaus?"

"What _about_ Klaus?"

"Do you really think Klaus is the same person you knew when we were kids?" He cocked his head at her and raised his eyebrows.

"I..." she started, "I'm not sure. I'd like to think he is."

Kol just shook his head. He clearly thought differently, and why wouldn't he? He obviously understood his brother far more than she probably ever would. He'd watched him change. He'd been there the day he left Mystic Haven and watched him progress in to the monster he'd become. She suddenly felt silly still being there. Why did she think that he would even _want_ her to be there in the first place? She hung her head and sat up from the bed.

Kol sensed the change in her demeanor. It wasn't his fault that she had some delusional idea of his family. They weren't the same people anymore and the sooner she figured that out the better. "Did Klaus tell you anything about what happened to our family?"

Caroline shook her head.

"After Elijah and Klaus ran away from Mikael, and left the rest of us to fend for ourselves, he and Elijah didn't know any other way to survive than to steal and run. They moved from town to town, always keeping close tabs on our family." Caroline sat back down on the bed, intent on listening to Kol fill in the missing pieces of their family history. "One day, in New York, our father came home in one of his alcohol induced fits of rage and beat our mother." Caroline gasped, and placed her hands over her mouth. Kol turned his head and closed his eyes. The memory of that horrific day was casting a dark and defeated look onto his features.

"Was she okay?" Caroline whispered, but not sure she wanted to hear the answer.

"No. He killed her."

"Oh," Caroline cried in disbelief. "That's...that's terrible." She couldn't help but shed a tear for Esther. She was always so kind to her. She knew she loved her children more than anything.

"Somehow Mikael got away with it. We were so young, and so afraid of him. What were we supposed to do? It didn't matter what we knew he'd done, he sent Rebekah and I to a nearby boarding school. We never saw him again. Not even on Holidays. It was as if we didn't exist to him anymore. And before long we were placed in an orphanage."

Caroline was shocked at this news. She always knew Mikael was a bad man, but to just disregard his family like that? To first kill their mother and then orphan his remaining children? This made it very clear to her that he was the devil himself.

"How did Klaus and Elijah find you?"

"I told you, they kept tabs on us through the years. It took some time to track us down, but eventually they found us and broke us out." Kol handed his now empty bowl to Caroline, "Can I have some more?"

She obliged and walked over to ladle some more soup, "And that was the beginning of your gang? When they finally broke you out?"

"More or less."

"And how did Klaus become the leader?"

"Ah, you mean, why do we call him the Boss?" he chuckled. "Klaus knew that Mother died, but he didn't know how. When Bekah and I told him, it was like we awoke an animal inside him. You know he was the one who Mikael used to beat?"

Caroline nodded, remembering the cuts and bruises on his sweet face, as if it were yesterday.

"Klaus wanted revenge. The rest of us were uneasy about it, still terrified of who Mikael was and what he was capable of. But Klaus was determined to give Mikael a taste of his own medicine. He was no longer afraid of him. It was easy to follow someone who ultimately wanted the same thing as you, but actually had the balls to follow through."

Kol continued to tell Caroline about many of their heists and how it was always Klaus who gave them the strength to keep going. Each time they stole it was always from Mikael's pocket, each time they killed someone it was always one of Mikael's men. There were many times she asked Kol to stop going in to so much detail. He was a little too proud of his nickname and the torment that he bestowed upon people. It made Caroline's stomach turn to think that the Mikaelsons were capable of such monstrous things. She didn't like thinking of Klaus being so ruthless, so cold-hearted and disdainful toward human life. But Kol painted a picture of a hero. Klaus, in Kol's eyes, could do no wrong. He looked up to him as any boy would look up to their older brother.

It was a weird sensation to root for such brutality, but Caroline had to admit that as wrong and horrible as she felt toward the actions of the Mikaelsons, she felt as though their actions were justified. As the afternoon turned to night, she actually began feeling a kinship to the young Mikaelson, and it warmed her heart. No longer was she looking at the cleverly named Tailor, but before too long it was just Kol, the same boy she bested long ago.

Who Klaus really was started to come in to focus. She was terrified of him but intrigued at the same time. She was beginning to understand why his anger and frustration all masked a deeper rooted need for companionship. He was prideful and arrogant and his anger would be the end of him. He was callous and gruff, yet his eyes had a sadness that reflected who he once was as a child. She got lost in those eyes. The way they stared at her with annoyance and lust. No matter how harsh his words or actions were, she would have to be blind to not see the desire that he had for her. And she would be lying if she hadn't matched his lust with her own in some ways. She rebuked the thoughts many times that night as she listened to Kol's heroic stories of Klaus. It didn't matter if the man was truly Satan himself, she was drawn to the power and pure magnetism that he exuded.

Kol was midway through a story about one of Klaus' successful robberies, when he caught her daydreaming. His lips had caught her imagination, and she was wondering what they would taste like. If he would be rough with her or gentle. She reckoned it didn't matter how he would take her, as long as he just took her.

"Where are you Caroline?" Kol suddenly asked.

"Hmm? What?"

"The idea of Klaus robbing Tulsa City Bank have you thinking of him robbing something else?" He smiled that obnoxious think-I-know-everything smile at her, and she just rolled her eyes.

"Hardly," she lied. "I'm going to go see if Elijah's scout has returned with any news of Bekah." She really needed an excuse to get away from Kol's insinuations. She hurried out of the tent and embraced the cool air. She needed something to simmer the thoughts that were catching fire in her mind.

(xxx)

**Back at the Cabin**

Klaus and Elijah brushed past Damon, they'd deal with him later, and raced in to the cabin. When Klaus entered the room and saw his sister barely holding on he fell to his knees at her bedside and began to weep. "Oh Rebekah, I'm so sorry."

She smiled weakly at him and reached out to grab his hand. The fact that she was still awake only showed Klaus her true strength. Elijah stood tall behind Klaus and kept the tears at bay. He twisted the ends of his mustache in his usual nervous manner. Elena followed quickly behind them and began to set up the necessary tools in order to do her work. Klaus wasn't sure if the look on Rebekah' face was one of relief or if she was just accepting her death, but she closed her eyes when she saw Elena and a single tear rolled down her face.

Elena scooted them out. She needed to be alone with Rebekah for her ritual of medicines and incantations to work. The men were hesitant but obliged her. Klaus took one last look at Bekah and smiled at her, not wanting the last thing he saw of him to be sadness. Elijah cupped his wife's face and kissed her forehead. "Please Elena," he pleaded.

Elena grabbed his hands and lifted her face to kiss him. "I will do everything I can, Shikaa." The Apache word for husband lingered in Elijah's mind as he joined his brother.

"Should we take care of Damon Salvatore?"

"Yes, I think we should," Elijah replied.

The brothers walked in stride and Klaus pushed open the door to the cabin. He saw the Salvatores in a heated discussion across the way. Stefan had Damon's shirt collar in his hands. If you didn't know the Salvatore's brotherly bond, you would think Stefan was speaking words of anger and hate but in reality Stefan was pleading with Damon to leave. To get the hell out of there before Klaus killed him. Which was exactly what Klaus had intended to do.

Stefan stepped in front of Klaus, his hands in the air. "Please Klaus, don't kill him. It was an accident."

"Get out of the way, Stefan!" he threatened and pushed him out of the way. Damon just stood there and closed his eyes as Klaus pushed all of his weight forward and into the fist that made contact with Damon's face. Damon dropped to the ground and Klaus jumped on top of him, his fists making contact with every inch of the Salvatore's body. He didn't fight him. Damon just laid there and let him beat him.

"Please Klaus, he's my brother," Stefan stepped in and grabbed Klaus' shoulders.

"And_ that's_ my sister in there!" he screamed and stood up from the crumpled remains of Damon. "The woman that_ you_ love, might I remind you! Are you really going to stand there and defend the man that's responsible?"

"He's right Stefan, this is my fault," Damon choked out. "I need to own up to the consequences." He was unrecognizable. His face bleeding and bruised.

"Oh don't act like such a fuckin' martyr, Damon," Elijah scoffed, all gentlemanly pretensions were far gone. He stood above him and withdrew his pistol. "You knew exactly how dangerous it would be without us and you did it anyway."

"I know, but it was never my intention for anyone to get hurt. How did I know there would be that many armed men on that train?" He was coming up with excuses now, what stage of death was that? The first was denial, the second anger and the third was bargaining? Klaus had witnessed many of his victims go through these same stages, but never did he think he would have to hear them from one of his very own gang members.

"It's true," Stefan said. "Even if you three were with us, we still would've ran into the same problem. There were too many of them."

"Enough excuses!" Klaus roared. "Elijah, if you would..." he gestured for Elijah to just shoot the traitor and be done with it.

Elijah cocked the hammer of his gun and pointed it at Damon. "You fucked up, Damon."

Stefan pleaded further while Klaus held him back. Damon closed his eyes and waited for the deathly shot.

"Shikaa, stop this!"

Elena's small voice rang in his ears and Elijah withdrew his pistol.

"What the hell are you doing, Elijah? Kill him." Klaus said indignantly.

Elijah only sighed heavily and closed his eyes. "No, Klaus, we can't."

Damon's head rolled back as he let out a sigh of relief.

"What do you mean we can't? Here, give me that pistol." Klaus let go of Stefan and reached for Elijah's weapon, only to have Elijah pull it further away from him. "Elijah, he's a traitor!"

"Yes, I'm aware, Klaus, but Elena can't have death happen while a life is trying to be saved."

Klaus jeered at this ridiculous dogma and reached for the pistol again. When Elijah shook his head and held the pistol at a further distance, he threw his head back and clenched his jaw. "This is ridiculous, Elijah."

"Perhaps. But if you want Elena to continue saving Rebekah, then I suggest we find another form of punishment for Damon."

There was no other form of punishment that Damon deserved more than death. He wanted him to suffer for his rash and deadly decision. He knew he wasn't going to get what he deserved and so Klaus did the next best thing. He squatted down and glared at Damon. "Get the fuck out of here, Damon," he whispered. "I don't ever want to see you again. If I do, I can promise you that Elijah and his little wife won't be there to protect you."

Klaus stood up and walked back toward the cabin. He looked at Elena and shook his head at her before yelling over his shoulder to Damon, "You better be gone by the time I come back out of this cabin."

(***)

A few hours later, Klaus was alone and waiting outside of the bedroom in the small living room. Elijah had left for the Apache camp. He knew Kol would want to hear about his sister's well being. It was still unanswered, but she was far better than she was when they first got there.

Stefan had sent Damon on his way. He typically would've left with his brother, but the love for the woman in the other room kept him there. At one point, Elena had asked if he joined her in Rebekah's room. His presence was needed for another step to her healing.

Lexi had left with Damon. She was going to travel with him for a while, they had a strong bond. But she would return soon enough, her loyalties were to the Mikaelsons no matter her feelings for Damon.

It was odd, that they were all together at one point, strong and feared. And now they were scattered. His future endeavors of taking down Mikael slipping through his fingers. His inability to lead his gang has resulted in chaos.

Elena emerged with a weak smile and walked toward him. He stood and waited to hear how she was doing. "She is still recovering. She lost a lot of blood."

"Is she going to make it?"

"Time will tell," she offered but knew it wasn't what he wanted to hear.

Klaus ran his hands over his face and sat back down. Elena walked over to him and asked, "Klaus, when was the last time you sleep?"

"I don't even know," Klaus said. "I don't think I could sleep even if I wanted to."

"I can help." Elena walked over to her satchel and took out a small pouch. "This will help you sleep."

"What is it?"

"An herb, that make you sleep," she said bluntly, as if Klaus should already know the answer to his silly question.

"Yes, but how does it work?"

"You drink. You sleep. You dream."

"Dream? Listen, I don't need no silly dreams filling my head."

"Dreams are good, Klaus, they give you direction and answers," she began to pour the contents of the pouch into the boiling water of the fire. She stirred and poured it into a mug. "Take it. You are no good without sleep."

Elena was right. He was becoming delirious. There was nothing he could do for Rebekah. He took a tentative sniff of the potion. "Are there any directions or do I just drink it?"

"Drink," she simply said and pushed the bottom of the cup to his lips. He drank every last drop and settled back into his chair. "Now," she said, "try to clear your mind. Leave worries on this plain and travel to new plain with good thoughts," she nodded and smiled.

He wasn't one to believe in any sort of hocus pocus but smiled in a thin line and closed his eyes. He slowly drifted off, trying to clear his mind of anything that had happened that day.

_Klaus' eyes fluttered open. He was sitting cross-legged in the center of a round room. _

_A tepee. _

_Was he back at the Apache camp? The fire in front of him crackled and he watched embers drift up. When his eyes came back down, a figure stood in front of him, fuzzy at first but soon enough a petite woman in a simple white nightgown came in to focus. _

_The nightgown fell loosely off of her shoulder and her milky, white skin peeked out. Her blonde hair cascaded down her back; beautiful blonde curls framing her face. Caroline's face. Her pink lips and blue eyes smiled at him.  
_

_She didn't speak. She only walked around the fire and moved in front of him. She crouched down, pulling her nightgown up past her knees, and straddled him.  
_

_"Caroline, what are you-"  
_

_She pressed her finger to his lips and moved forward. He didn't know why it was happening and didn't have time to put it all together before her lips were on his.  
_

* * *

__**OMG! I'm so excited to write the next chapter. It's going to be so sexy good. Sorry I had to stop it here, but seriously, I want to make the next section really good. So you'll have to wait. **

**Also, you can follow me on Tumblr at jomosjinglebells.  
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**Love all of my follows and favorites and reviews. I'm so glad you guys are enjoying it!  
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******Review Review Review!**


	12. Dreamcatcher

**As you start this chapter, have some patience...it's gonna happen. ;)  
**

**Thank you for all the reviews. They make my day and totally encourage me to write faster. If you love this chapter, please let me know!  
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**This will probably be the last chapter for a little while, unless inspiration strikes. I'm going to write 10 Dirty Drabbles, posting one each day before the Winter Premiere. Should be fun! And filthy! Ha.  
**

**Enjoy! Oh and Dreamcatcher is a Stephen King novel, but the title was too fitting to pass up for this chapter. LOL.  
**

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**Chapter 11: Dreamcatcher  
**

**Mystic Haven**

Bill Forbes had been searching for days. It was no use however, Caroline was long gone. He wasn't positive, but it was pretty clear that Caroline was taken by the same bandits that robbed the bank the day she'd gone missing. He could only imagine what kind of torture she was going through. They probably had her locked up with no food, and no water, or worse, she was dead. He shook his head and ran his hands down his face. He couldn't think like that. His beautiful girl was still alive out there...somewhere.

He was exhausted and beat down and his horse was no worse for the wear as he rode up to his home. Liz would be waiting inside for an answer and he would have to tell her, again, that his search was in vain. He hated seeing his beautiful wife deteriorate everyday. Dark circles were forming under her eyes from lack of sleep and she wasn't eating enough. But tomorrow would be a new day. He'd leave even earlier and he'd ride out as far as Abilene to find her if he had to.

He walked up the porch steps and through the front door. Hanging his hat and his jacket on the rack. He could smell something cooking, which made his heart light. Perhaps Liz hadn't completely given up hope. "Honey, that soup smells delicious," he said as he rounded the corner to the kitchen.

His heart sunk when he saw her. She was gagged and tied up to one of the kitchen chairs, tears streaming down her face as muffled screams tried to escape. Sitting next to her was a dark haired man, eating a bowl of soup. "Hello Sheriff Forbes," he grinned.

Bill moved forward in an attempt to free his wife when he heard the cock of a gun in his ear. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," said a woman's voice.

"What the hell is this? What's going on?" he asked as he raised his hands.

"If you'd like to have a seat, Sheriff, I'd be happy to explain."

"Who the hell are you?"

"Well don't you recognize me?" he asked and pulled up a familiar Wanted poster for Bill to see.

"The Face." He gulped and nodded at his wife who was frozen in fear. He shot her a small smile hoping that it'd bring her some reassurance that everything was going to be okay.

"Very good," Damon said and propped his feet up on the table and folded his hands in his lap. "You and I need to have a little chat."

"I don't think you and I need to discuss anything until you untie my wife," he sneered.

Damon inhaled sharply thorough his nose and looked at Liz. "Yes, I suppose I could do that. Just the gag though, sweetie, we're gonna go ahead and keep you tied up for safe measure." He untied the fabric from around Liz's mouth.

"Bill. Bill, I'm so frightened," she cried.

"Now there's no need to be frightened, Mrs. Forbes, we're all friends here. Aren't we Lexi?"

"Sure thing, Face. We're just here to have a little chat." Lexi took a seat at the end of the table and placed her gun down. She saw Bill eye her gun but warned him before he got any bright ideas. "Ah-ah-ah Sheriff Forbes, I'm one of the quickest draws in the West, please don't make me put a bullet between your wife's eyes."

"What the hell do you people want?"

"We're not looking for trouble, Sheriff. We're lookin' for answers." The sinister Salvatore stood up, placed both palms down and leaned over the table.

"Answers? Answers about what? What kind of information could I possibly have that you want?"

"Let's just say we're familiar with a friend of yours, a Mr. Mikaelson?"

Liz looked over at her husband. Mr. Mikaelson was a name her family or this town hadn't heard in years. What was this bandit talking about?

"Bill?"

Bill just shook his head. "I think you got the wrong guy."

"Really? Do I still have the wrong guy if I'm able to give you the location of your daughter?"

Both father and mother snapped their heads in his direction. "Excuse me?"

"Yes, dear, sweet Caroline, in the hands of those nasty Demon Dogs."

Bill and Liz looked at each other again. Their worst fear was just confirmed. They knew she must've been taken by the bandits that robbed the bank but to finally be told what bandits were responsible made their stomachs sicken. "What...what do you want?" he asked through chocked back tears.

"Tell me something, Bill, do you know who the Demon Dogs are?"

Bill was perfectly aware of who they were but wasn't about to reveal that to this man, if it ended up being knowledge that would save him in the end. He just shook his head.

"No?" Damon asked and dropped his boots to the floor. "Well that seems odd, since you happen to have a relationship with their father."

"What is he talking about, Bill? What do the Mikaelsons have to do with any of this?"

"Keep quiet, Liz," he spat at his wife. "What do you want Salvatore?"

"I want you to take me to him," Damon said boldly.

Bill couldn't help but chuckle at the request. Nobody just went to see Mikael Mikaelson. _He_ summoned _you_, that's it. Before he let out his final titter, the hammer of Lexi's gun had been brought back and the barrel was facing him once again. She wasn't kidding about being quick on the draw. Liz squealed and Bill shut his eyes. "I don't know why you think I can take you to see him. He doesn't like people showing up unannounced."

Damon sauntered around the table, smoothing Liz's cheek with the back of his hand as he walked passed her. She flinched at his touch and Bill moved forward in his chair at Damon's intrusion. Lexi's gun came into clearer focus of his peripheral and he clenched his jaw and moved back in to his seat. Damon crouched down next to Bill, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you let me worry about whether it's polite or not to show up unannounced. I have a feeling Mr. Mikaelson is going to like what I have to tell him."

**Dream Sequence  
**

_He knew it wasn't real. __It was a dream. _ But it didn't stop his senses from overloading on how real she felt. 

_He could feel the heat from her legs as they wrapped around his waist and the gentle texture of the cotton nightgown bunched up on her thighs. __She smelled real too, as the scent of cloves and lavender washed over him. Her honey flavored tongue was wet and warm as it glided between his lips and met his._ The palms of her hands ran up his torso before tracing her fingers over his shoulders and down his back. She pressed herself against his bare chest, clinging to his neck and deepening the kiss. 

_Whatever the herb was that Elena gave to him, he would most assuredly need to thank her for it later. She spoke of finding clarity in his dreams, and this dream was clearly telling him that Caroline was his for the taking.  
_

_He let go of the fabric he held tightly in his fists and touched the lengthy stems that were entwining themselves around him. He let out a low moan as the sensation of her bare legs tingled the tips of his fingers and spread a warm desire throughout his body. His hands roamed higher, her nightgown leaving plenty of room for him to explore her upper thighs, her hips and her waist. Every inch of her was intoxicating to the touch. She matched his moaning with a rattled breath when his calloused hands moved to her back and grasped her firm ass. _

_His hands had traced an image for him of what she looked like, but it wasn't enough. He wanted to see all of her sun-kissed skin and as he pulled her nightgown over her head her nude form was everything he thought it would be. Small waist, long legs, and a pair of perfect breasts that easily fit into his hands. He rolled them under his palms and ran his thumbs over her hardening nipples. She moved forward again and kissed him hungrily. __Her breasts pressed flush against him and his fingertips massaged her bare back as her blonde wavy hair draped down and tickled his fingers. _Hands exploring and mouths devouring, but he needed to taste more of her; **feel** more of her. She rolled her head back and his mouth skimmed her jawline before he brought his tongue to the base of her neck and slowly licked and kissed its entire length.  


_She reached down to unfasten his pants, and Klaus had had enough of her dominance. In a single movement she was on her back. He held one leg in the air as he cradled the nook of her knee in his hands. She looked up at him lustfully, biting her bottom lip before reaching out and burying her hand in his pants once again. This time she found what she was looking for, and her thin delicate hand grabbed hold of him. He groaned at her touch as she released his member from his pants and pumped him fervently.  
_

_If there was any doubt before that this was a dream, her actions now confirmed it. Caroline Forbes didn't seem like the type of woman to make these sort of advances, these were the actions of a woman of the night. He suddenly realized that he didn't like the idea of her being one of those tawdry whores. She was clean and pristine, and perfect. The dirty and lustful thoughts that consumed his mind were tarnishing the beautiful blonde before him.  
_

_"No." He said to her and halted her actions.  
_

_"What's the matter Klaus? I thought you wanted me?" She gazed up at him puzzled.  
_

_"I do, Caroline, I do more than you know."  
_

_"Then what's the problem?" she asked and made advancements toward his pants once more. Klaus sat up and withdrew away from her. She propped up on her elbows and tilted her head. "Klaus, I'm here. I'm yours. Why won't you have me?"  
_

_"Because this isn't you. It's not what you really want, out there," he gestured outside the tent; outside the dream and in reality.  
_

_"And how do you know what I really want, Klaus?" She sat up on her knees and moved toward him. The firelight was casting shadows on her body. Flickering and dancing along her curves and causing the sweat beaded on her body to glisten with each movement. "This may be your dream, Klaus, but you wouldn't be having it, if there wasn't a part of you that knew how I felt."  
_

_"But, we barely know each other."  
_

_"I know you, Klaus," she whispered and placed a hand on his cheek. "I may be in your mind right now, but out there," she gestured outside as he did before, "Out there I'm in your heart. And you are in mine." She pulled him down and crashed her lips against his once more. He sunk to the floor and pulled her close. She didn't give him anymore time to think, let alone talk, before she straddled him as before, only this time she lowered herself on to him.  
_

_Her walls clenched his length as she rode him slowly. He held her close and buried his face into her chest as she wrapped her fingers through his curls. It was as though they were one. One body, one soul, and one fluid motion bringing them to the brink of ecstasy. She moaned quietly and gasped as he moved deeper inside of her. She looked down at him, staring intently, and placed her hands on his cheeks as she slid up and down. He guided her hips and focused on her jewel blue eyes, her pink mouth opening to let an inaudible sound of pleasure escape, and her silky tongue dart out to wet her lips.  
_

_She leaned forward, nearly at the edge of her release, and kissed him. The tepee walls seemed to close in around them, as they clung to each other tightly, only needing a moment longer. Her gasps became heavier as his thrusts became deeper, until her walls became slick as he filled her completely and she screamed out as he liberated her from her building tension.  
_

_They panted in the firelight, allowing the pleasure to wash over them completely. Their foreheads pressed together and she smiled. "Your world is a mess, Klaus. Your gang is disheveled," she whispered. "Your mind is clouded with death and revenge and you have no direction."  
_

_He looked at her and smiled. "Is this where the clarity part of the dream comes in?"  
_

_She placed her finger on his lips as she did before to quiet him. "You can steal and rob every penny in sight, Klaus, but if you cannot look passed that and find peace within yourself, you will always be running. You will never be happy."  
_

_"And how do you propose I find happiness, sweetheart?"  
_

_Caroline just shrugged. This was not something she could answer for him. She lifted his chin and smiled at him one last time before pressing her lips gently to his forehead.  
_

_"I'm waiting on the other side, Klaus."  
_

(***)

**Apache Camp  
**

Caroline came out from Kol's tent and stretched. The evening air rushed over her face, giving her a much needed cool down from the impure thoughts that had taken over. What would Bishop Fell think if he knew what she was thinking? So what if Klaus had grown into a masculine and handsome man? He was a murderer and a thief and a liar and that far outweighs any good looks or family history that they may have. Kol had filled her head with silly ideas. Ideas of a hero and a saint, robbing only those who harmed him or his family. That wasn't the point. It didn't matter if he only killed bad people, he still killed people, and Caroline truly believed that death was to be given by God or sentenced in front of a judge and jury.

To say she was conflicted would be an understatement. On the one hand she wanted to embrace the adventure and the exciting life of the Demon Dogs. But on the other, her morality gently whispered to her, reminding her that no matter how kind they are to her, or how heroic they may seem, they have chosen a life of crime. Perhaps she should've just taken Klaus up on his offer to send her home. Her parents were probably worried sick about her and the Bible does clearly say to "Flee from evil". But she was certain it wasn't evil that was keeping her there.

Was it love? Probably not. She had never been in love before so she wouldn't know. She thought, when she was younger, that she loved Klaus but as she grew into a woman and his memory became more distant, she realized it couldn't have been love that she felt. All she knew was that she was drawn to him.

She told him she would stay and wait for his return. At the time she was so certain that he needed her, that by choosing to stay she was showing him that she believed there was more to him than what he was willing to show her. She shook her head and again she started to think that her silly imagination was running away with her.

Her head grew weary of the internal war brewing inside of her. She didn't need to make a decision right now. She would care for Kol, wait for his return and see what happens. Surely he would still let her go home if that was what she wished.

Caroline walked the distance of the camp, going to the far end to speak with the scout. She was hoping they had good news for her. When she neared the Native man keeping watch at the entrance she froze. Taza turned around at the sound of her approach. Her legs began to shake and she swallowed hard. She was so busy with Kol, and the women of the tribe that she had begun to feel safe. It was stupid of her to not send someone else to get word of Rebekah.

His face was badly bruised. A cut over his left eye and on his bottom lip were still bleeding, and one of his eyes was completely shut and swollen. For a moment Caroline felt regret and a flicker of guilt. He shouldn't have been so rough with her, but she should've known better than to flirt with a man that she didn't know. He didn't speak to her, but instead turned away and walked in the opposite direction.

"Don't worry, he won't be a problem anymore," she heard a man say.

Caroline turned around to see Elijah peering down at her from his horse. "Elijah!" She looked behind him to see if the others had followed.

"Klaus isn't here, nor Elena. I have come with news of Rebekah."

"Is she-"

"She's fine, or at least getting better. No real word on if she'll make it, at least at the time that I left."

Caroline only nodded, noticing Elijah's weariness. "Will the others be returning soon?"

"Yes, ma'am. As soon as Rebekah is out of harms way, I imagine Klaus and Elena will bring her here." He dismounted and grabbed the reins. "Would you take me to my brother please, Caroline?"

"Of course." She took one last glance behind Elijah to be certain he wasn't there. If his absence proved anything to her, it was that it didn't matter if her presence would be something he truly needed, because she knew indefinitely that _his_ presence was something that she longed for, and that was enough for her to stay.

* * *

**Okay, let's just be honest. I'll probably get another chapter in before I start on my First Time Drabbles. Ha. **

**Thanks for reading everyone! I hope this chapter gave you a little taste of what's to come. The next few chapters will probably focus a lot on the development of Klaroline. You guys have been so patient, I know it's been a build up, but when he gets back to the camp I'm really planning on focusing on their walls coming down and letting love in. **

**I changed my url on Tumblr to jomosfamilyjewels. Find me there and follow. =)  
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**Anyhoo, please let me know what you think in a REVIEW!  
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	13. Cowgirls Don't Cry

**Holy Cow I updated! I gotta be honest, there were more than one moment where I almost gave up. But luckily, inspiration came to me and I was able to put it down. This chapter is a little shorter than I'd like, but I felt like I needed to get something published for all of you. **

**I don't have much to say, other than I hope you're all still with me! Also, if you haven't already please check out liarfaker and I's fic The Vixens and The Vamps. It's under our joint Author name SoapFactory.  
**

**Feel free to leave me a review.  
**

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**Chapter 12: Cowgirls Don't Cry**

**The Cabin**

Klaus had woken up in many strange places. He's peeked an eye open in tawdry inns after a night of drunken inhibitions. He's stretched and yawned underneath too many trees to count, not to mention along a few river banks. He's even awoken a few times a top his horse. His head bobbing up and down as his trusty steed followed behind his gang.

That morning in the cabin, after his imagination indulged in the sensuality of Ms. Caroline Forbes, he awoke from the sound of low voices. The memory of his dream faded away and the reality of his surroundings slowly came into focus.

"Welcome back." Elena sat beside him offering him a glass of water. He took the drink and looked at it disappointed.

"You got anything stronger?" he mused.

"Water is good. You need it to gain your strength back."

"I find whiskey brings me back quicker," he said and sat up from the couch. That's funny, he thought. He could've sworn he fell asleep in the chair.

She only smiled and nodded for him to finish the drink.

"How's Rebekah?" he asked, his sister's condition coming back to mind.

"She's much better. Stefan just went back in with her. We can head to my camp tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" He sat the drink down and tried to stand. The blood rushed to his head and he fell back onto the couch. He felt like he'd been on a week long bender, his head pounding and his vision blurred.

"It'll take some time, just sit down and relax."

"I thought you said it would be days before we could even consider moving Rebekah?"

"I did."

"But you're now telling me we can leave tomorrow? Has she made that much progress in such a short amount of time?"

Elena tilted her head and smiled at him again. Always smiling. Like he was some silly child that always needed further explanation. He half expected her to talk to him slowly and with overly pronounced syllables.

"You've been asleep for three days, Klaus."

"What?" He snapped his head toward her. That was not a good idea. The motion caused a raucous in his skull that no amount of pressure from the palms of his hands could make go away. He squeezed his head and closed his eyes. "Three days?" he spoke quietly as not to disrupt the peace and quiet slowly settling back in his mind.

She nodded again.

"How can that be?"

"It's always different for each person. Some only sleep for an hour, while others sleep for one or two days." She busied herself while she spoke. Folding sheets that were obviously line dried and recently brought in. "But you, you needed three days."

"Is that unusual?"

"Yes." Ominous as usual, she didn't go into any further detail. She grabbed the stack of sheets and took them to the back room.

Klaus leaned back against the cushions of the couch and finished his water. It was unusual but for the first time he felt a sort of peace wash over him. The words that Caroline (well dream Caroline) spoke came back to him again.

_"Your mind is clouded with death and revenge and you have no direction."_

He knew that his mind was clouded with death and revenge with the lives that he had taken and the lives that were taken from him. It was always about family and retribution, that's what he told himself. He wanted to take care of them and he never felt like that was possible until they disposed of the one man that brought the most fear into their lives. The man that destroyed his family by killing his mother and abandoning the rest of them.

His actions against Mikael were his life long purpose. But now, he knew she was right, he had no direction. His gang has been displaced; two of his own injured, two brothers separated, and one new addition that seemed to be the catalyst to it all. And because of that catalyst, he can't remember a day in his life when he was truly content. That he wasn't planning his next scheme against Mikael. It only took three days of what he can only describe as pure bliss for him to realize he had found that contentment. It wasn't with money, or revenge and it wasn't with retribution. No, it was with a certain blonde, that made him feel nurtured and peaceful, even if it was a dream, for the first time in his adult life.

He was relieved to know that Rebekah was on the mend, for the sooner she was better, the sooner they could return to Elena's camp.

When Elena came back into the living room he asked, "Would it be alright if I went in and saw her?"

"Yes. I would knock though. She's been feeling much better and Stefan is keeping her company at the moment."

Klaus didn't need the visual that Elena so nonchalantly offered. He liked the Salvatore brother but that didn't mean he liked the idea of him and Rebekah. He stood up slowly this time, allowing his equilibrium to balance out. He walked to the bedroom door and knocked hesitantly.

"Come in," he heard the soft response of his baby sister.

The room was brightly lit with the sun pouring through the window. The last he saw Rebekah she was barely holding on and now she looked a little worse for the wear, but with a smile on her face. "Niklaus, you're awake."

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Stefan said and gave Klaus a pat on the shoulder. "I'll leave you two to catch up." He walked over to Rebekah and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead before heading out the door.

"Come," she patted the bed beside her, "sit down next to your sister."

Klaus did as she told and took a seat. He brought his hand up to her head to smooth down her hair and he felt a small tear prick the corner of his eye. "I...I'm so sorry Rebekah."

"For what, Nik? You couldn't have known this would happen."

"For not being there. For letting all of you down." He looked away from her and closed his eyes. "This never would've happened if-"

"But it did and I'm going to be just fine." It was her turn to comfort him and she cupped the side of his face and brought it back to her. "Klaus, it was an accident. An accident that never would've happened if we didn't run off the way we did. It's nobody's fault."

"I think Damon can take a bit of the fault," he scoffed. He had forgotten all about the tyrant until just then. What a stupid son of a bitch, he was.

His anger was about to spill over again like hot molten lava when she placed her hand on his. "Damon was just doing what he thought was best. We didn't have to follow him, you know? But we did, we thought we could handle it."

"But you couldn't!" He stood up and threw his hands out before turning around to face her. "What were you thinking?"

"We obviously weren't!" She yelled back at him. "Do you think, for a second, that if I knew I was gonna get shot that I would've followed Damon? Do you think any of us would?" She was getting heated. The Mikaelson temper filling the room with its rage and indignation. "I'm all for following your heart, Niklaus, but since when did Caroline Forbes become more important than your family?"

He ran a hand down his face and grunted with annoyance. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't I? Stefan filled me in."

"Well then Stefan doesn't know what he's talkin' about either." He walked to the window and leaned against the frame and stared out. He couldn't look at her, if he looked at her she'd know the truth. It was something he hadn't even figured out for himself and yet all the women in his life, his new sister-in-law included, seem to have a much better grasp on it than he does.

"Klaus," she said softly. "Klaus, look at me!"

"It wasn't supposed to happen. _She_ wasn't supposed to happen, Bekah." He turned to look at her then and with furrowed brows he shook his head, "She was supposed to remain a memory."

Rebekah smiled at her slightly pathetic brother. As a woman she knew how easily it was to fall victim to your heart. It took far too many heartbreaks before she finally found Stefan. "Tell me about her," she offered.

"What?"

"Tell me more about how our childhood friend has gotten hold of your heart."

He rolled his eyes and smiled before heading for the door. "I'm sure you'll get it out of me one way or another. But until then, I'm going to pack for the Apache's camp."

"But Nik-"

"Get some sleep, Bekah," he said and closed the door behind him.

(***)

**Apache Camp**

"Come on you slow poke!"

"Oh, sure, don't mind me, I was only shot with a fucking arrow!"

"Watch your mouth, Kol!"

Caroline raced through the prairie at top speed with an exhausted Kol close behind. It had been close to a week since he had been outside and she felt it was time for him to get some fresh air. Never being one to turn down a wager, he had agreed to a race, believing that his hurt shoulder would give her enough of a handicap to possibly beat him. Clearly he underestimated her feminine façade.

"I win!" She cheered, and began clapping and jumping up and down to celebrate her victory.

"You won, cause I let you win!" Kol threw back at her. He placed his hands on his thighs and heaved with exhaustion.

"Suuuuure," she mocked. "And I suppose I cheated too?"

"Possibly..." he smirked.

"Well, maybe you should lay off the peace pipe."

"Hey! It makes my arm feel better-"

"And the monkey business with all the squaws in the village?"

"All part of the healing process, Darlin'!"

"I'm sure it is." She just shook her head in feigned disappointment, but in reality she was growing fond of Kol's brazen shenanigans.

They turned and strolled lazily back to camp, laughing and joking as friends would do. Kol picked up a stick and dragged it across the ground, drawing zigzags in the earth, while Caroline finds the perfect piece of grass to pluck from the earth and place in her mouth.

"The air is getting colder during the day." Caroline said as she felt a cool breeze nip across her arms. "Winter will be here soon."

"Well, I would offer you my coat, but it's reserved for _proper_ ladies."

Caroline glared at him, trying to keep a straight face, but it was no use. She covered her mouth and began to laugh again when he waggled his eyebrows at her and smiled that deviant smile. "I wouldn't want the jacket from that scoundrel "The Tailor" anyway. It smells of harlots and horse shit."

"CAROLINE!" he scolded. "Watch your mouth, young lady!"

"I can't help it," she teased. "You bring the worst out in me, Kol Mikaelson."

"Yes, I tend to have that effect on people."

Caroline never thought she would hear Kol really laugh. He was either too serious for his own good or his laughter was filled with malice and spite. But the way he laughed now, how he threw his head back and allowed a silly almost childlike chuckle to flow freely out of him, made her heart light. Like the rest of his family, there seemed to be a deep sadness surrounding him, and with the new information regarding Mikael and their past it wasn't a surprise.

There was a gentleman in him after all, when he removed his jacket and placed it around her shoulders. "Sorry it smells like horse shit," he shrugged.

"That's alright, I'm getting used to it." She laughed. Not really knowing what to do with his sudden show of kindness, Caroline was quick to change the subject. "So, when do you think the others will come back?"

"Why? You tired of my company already?"

"No, it's not that, it's just..."

"You miss him?"

She did miss him. She missed him terribly and she didn't even know why. Perhaps the time with Kol had reminded her of their childhood. Or maybe there were things in Kol that just plain reminded her of him. They were brothers after all. "Kol, do you think he cares for me?"

"He probably likes ya a lot more than I do!"

"That's not sayin' much," she laughed.

"It's true. I prefer my women a little less chatty and a lot more naughty."

Once again Kol's redefining the word 'gentleman' with his boorish wit and subtle charm. "Come on," she tossed his jacket back at him. "Race me back to camp?" She didn't give him a chance to answer, she just took off at top speed leaving Kol in her wake.

"Wait! I wasn't ready!" He hollered at her before hurrying to catch up.

(***)

It's not like it was a surprise. Well it was a little bit of a surprise. He knew her affections could change if she only spent some time away from him. But to watch them fall upon Kol was too shocking for words.

Klaus watched from across the way as the two of them ran and laughed, like two love struck hyenas. He had to admit that he'd never seen Kol happier, but then he'd also have to admit that he never wanted to hit him in the face more than he did at that moment.

"Is that her?" Rebekah asked from behind him.

He nodded and sighed heavily.

"Seems she's taken a liking to our dear brother."

"It seems that way."

* * *

**Oh no Klaus...you got the wrong idea! Always the first to think that someone couldn't possibly care for him the way he cares for them. Sigh. When will you learn Klausy dear? **

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	14. The Sisters Brothers

**I was receiving so many follows and reviews that I figured it was time to go ahead and update. Hope you are all still with me and that you enjoy this chapter. **

**Thank you to my beta queens, melanoradrood, livingdeadblondegirl and my Angel (klausshummingbird/ilovebrendanurie).**

**Reviews are always the best way to get me to update!**

* * *

**Chapter 13: The Sisters Brothers**

**Mystic Haven - Many Years Ago**

_Klaus laid sprawled out in front of the fire with his sketch book in front of him. His most secretive and prized possession. He saved for months all the pennies that his mother gave him for doing chores, in hopes that one day he would have enough to afford it. He still remembers tearing away the brown paper and string and gazing at it for the first time._

_It was a simple sketch book, bound in leather with leather straps to enclose it and he tingled with anticipation as he ran his hand over the front of it, feeling its smooth exterior. He flipped to the first page, which lay waiting and empty for him to sketch and draw his dreams and ideas, causing them to become a formidable reality to the otherwise nightmare that he was living._

_The first thing he drew still graced the front page; a heart-shaped face with two almond shaped eyes, long eyelashes, a small mouth and button nose, and long, curly hair cascading down. It was far better than he thought he could ever do, as he stared at the irrefutable face of Caroline Forbes. Since that day it had been filled with similar sketches, each one getting closer to her likeness._

_Klaus typically sketched in the middle of the night, when everyone was asleep and he was away from prying eyes. He knew he would never hear the end of it from his siblings, and God forbid his father found it. It was hard to imagine Mikael being upset over a few sketches, but if history had taught him anything it was to never underestimate the cruelty of his father._

_Today was an exception. Mikael and the rest of his family were in town running errands and he had the house to himself and so he took advantage of what little alone time he had and brought out his sketchbook. He had been working on a sketch for Caroline. The Forbes' mare had just given birth to a colt and it had taken a liking to Caroline immediately. She named him Angel, and Klaus thought it would be fun to draw the newborn colt with wings, like one of those flying horses in the picture books in the town library. After months of practice he had perfected her face. He could draw every expression that she made, but his favorite was the smile she wore when she talked about something that made her truly happy, and Angel was one of those things. He was putting the finishing touches on Angel's wings, making them look feathery and soft, when a small voice interrupted._

_"Whatcha got there?" He heard the intruder say. "Oh, is that Caroline?"_

_"None of your business, Kol!"_

_"Lemme see!" Kol lunged for the book and snatched it before Klaus could tuck it away. He stood up and with full force knocked the younger Mikaelson back._

_"Kol! So help me God, you better give that back before I give you a whooping," he threatened._

_Kol began to thumb through the pages, all the while playing keep away from Klaus. He would move from one side of the couch to the other and Klaus would follow, turning the game into a torturous dance._

_"Oooh, look at all these pictures of Caroline! I bet she would love to see these!" he taunted._

_"Kol! When I get my hands on you, you're dead!" " he screamed and lunged across the couch._

_Kol dodged him once more, Klaus' fingertips just brushing the back of his shirt. "I saw Caroline in town today. Helped get something off the shelf at Fell's for her," he continued. "She was real grateful. Even got a kiss on the cheek for it."_

_If Klaus was seeing red before, he was now blinded with a crimson fury that propelled him forward. Kol's face deadpanned, realizing he may have gone too far with his taunts and he turned around to make his escape from the room. Klaus, in his rage, rammed into the end table and crashed forward into Kol. On his way down to the ground he grabbed him by the ankles, tripping his younger brother and causing a domino effect with a disastrous outcome. Klaus hit the ground first, then came Kol who toppled forward and smacked his face across the floor. The sketchbook flung out of Kol's hands, hitting the ground and sliding to a stop._

_The two boys stared at the large boots in front of them, swallowing hard as they watched the owner of the boots crouch forward and grab hold of the item in his large hands. Klaus' eyeline never left his sketchbook, as it travelled up and stopped in front of Mikael's observing face. He and Kol scrambled to their feet, brushing themselves off in an attempt to make themselves more presentable for their father._

_"What is going on in here?" Mikael asked. His voice was calm but always carried a tone of indignation._

_"Just a little scuffle, Pa, nothing to worry about." Kol said, attempting to calm the storm before it even began._

_"Doesn't look that way to me," he said and cocked his head to the side, urging the boys to continue with their explanation._

_"Really, we were just having some fun," Kol tried again._

_"And what is this?" Mikael looked down at the book in his hand and back toward the boys._

_"That...that's mine, Pa," Klaus finally spoke up._

_"And why exactly are you attacking your brother and making a mess of our living area?"_

_"Oh, it wasn't his fault-" Kol started, but Mikael held up his hand._

_"I was talking to your brother, Kol." Kol turned his head to Klaus and he could see his fear race to the surface. He was scared for Klaus. He tried to fix it but it wasn't enough. "Well?" Mikael nodded at Klaus to continue._

_"I was sketching and then Kol took it from me and wouldn't give it back, so I-"_

_"So you thought you would just attack your younger and smaller brother?"_

_"No-"_

_"And you thought you would just wrestle him to the ground because he wouldn't give you back your silly book?"_

_"It's not silly!" Klaus shouted at him, and immediately regretted it. Before Klaus could make a move the back of Mikael's hand was striking him across the face. It was only a warning, Klaus was all too familiar with Mikael's forms of punishment. The next time he spoke out of line, it would be a fist crashing across his cheek._

_"Father, please, we were only just-" Kol interjected again._

_"Get out of here, Son, or you'll be next!" He yelled at Kol. Mikael would never follow through with his threat, he only spewed words at his other children, and only Klaus felt the physical violence behind those words._

_Kol scampered out of the room, but turned to look at his older brother one more time. He pleaded for forgiveness with his eyes, and Klaus could see a glistening of tears begin to form. He gave Kol a halfhearted smile of reassurance before the boy raced from the room and out of sight._

_As soon as Kol was gone, Mikael laid into him again. "So you think you're a tough guy? You think you can just bully your siblings because you don't get your way?"_

_Klaus didn't respond. He just kept his chin high and held back the tears that wanted to rush out due to the injustice of the situation._

_"Well..." he looked down at his bastard. "What do you have to say for yourself?"_

_"Nothing," he answered quickly. "It won't happen again."_

_It was best to agree with the irrational man in front of him. It was best to just let him say what he needed to say and keep the peace. Klaus glanced down at his book, wanting nothing more than for his father to relinquish his possession and go along with his day. But, it wouldn't be that easy. It's never that easy. It was as though it was Mikael's lifelong mission to invoke as much pain and suffering on the child as he possible could._

_"You're right," Mikael agreed. "It won't happen again."_

_It happened in a blur and there was nothing Klaus could do to stop it. Mikael took three large steps toward the fire and tossed his sketchbook into the flames._

_"NO!" Klaus bellowed. "No, no, no!" He raced to the fire, not caring about burning himself or the consequences of going against his father's actions, and reached out to grab the burning book. Mikael held out his hand, and yanked the boy back, keeping him from thrusting his hand into the fire and retrieving the item._

_"Lemme go!" Klaus screamed and fought against Mikael's strong grip. He didn't falter from his stance and held Klaus in place. Tears began to stream down his face, and he fought and clawed at his father's hold. Mikael didn't move, he just held him there as Klaus watched his sketches slowly burn. The leather singing at the corners, the paper curling up and disintegrating before his eyes. When the book was barely recognizable Mikael let go of Klaus and the boy barrelled forward, and without another word Mikael left the room._

_Klaus curled into a ball and rocked himself in front of the fire. Silent tears spilled out of him as he watched his manifested dreams burn to smoke and ash._

(***)

**Back at the Camp**

Many memories came rushing back as Klaus glared across the field and watched Kol and Caroline race in the opposite direction. Her smile reflecting pure joy as she giggled and played chase with his younger brother. It was an odd feeling to want to rip his brother's heart out and at the same time laugh at his brother's youthful display of contentment.

After years of Kol hardening his heart, killing men without a second thought and living this lifestyle that Klaus thrusted upon him, he had to admit that it was nice seeing his brother so carefree. He only ever wanted them to be a family again. To live peacefully without the burden of their father weighing over their heads. But watching Kol so happy, having Rebekah alive and safely wrapped in Stefan's arms, and knowing that Elijah had found love no matter how strange it came to him, made Klaus realize that perhaps their vendetta wasn't as important as he had thought. That after years of struggling to get the upper hand, maybe it was time to just let it go.

He would like to think that he came to this conclusion on his own, but he knew it wasn't true. Fate had intervened and brought Caroline back into their lives, reminding them of one of the only happy memories they shared in Mystic Haven. And it was enough for Klaus to take a step back and reexamine his priorities. It didn't mean though, he wasn't still going to beat the tar out of his brother, he needed to show Kol that he didn't appreciate him moving in on his girl.

"I'm sure it's not what it looks like," Rebekah said, interrupting Klaus' thoughts.

"It doesn't matter," Klaus said and kicked his heels to spur his horse forward.

The three left behind looked at each other with worried expressions. Stefan and Rebekah knew all too well the hidden darkness that laid beneath an indifferent Klaus.

Elena was the first to dismount when they reached the other side of the field. Elijah stood waiting for them as they approached. She did not race and throw herself into his arms, but moved swiftly to stand in front of him, where he simply cupped her face and brought his lips to hers.

"I missed you, Shi'aad", Elijah whispered, greeting his wife.

"And I you, Shikaa," Elena responded, and brought her lips back to his.

Elijah left her only for a moment to help her sister down from her horse and to give her a hug and a kiss. He grabbed her head and cradled her against him. "You are not allowed to leave this earth before me, do you hear me?" he told her, touching her chin and lifting her eyes up to see the seriousness in his.

She nodded and smiled up at him, "I hear you, Elijah."

"Good." Elijah shook Stefan's hand and nodded at Klaus. "You should go see Kol, and Caroline will want to see you as well." Elijah linked his hand with Elena's and escorted her into the village.

Klaus stared at the back of Elijah's head, the anger surfacing once more at the mention of their names. He dismounted and threw the reins at Stefan. "Take care of this, will ya?" and headed, with purpose, in the direction of Kol's tent.

(***)

When they reached the tent, Caroline had won again, leaving Kol in a twitter over the injustice of it all. "Caroline, how in the world do you run that fast with a skirt on?"

"Practice," she simply stated.

"Hmm," Kol said and leaned forward on his knees to catch his breath.

Caroline couldn't help noticing that the village seemed all a buzz. Men and women raced by her, rambling quickly in their Apache language. She thought she heard the name Elena and so she peered in the direction of where they were all headed. Sure enough, there was Elijah, hand in hand with his wife. The natives surrounded Elena greeting her in their customary ways.

"They're back," she spoke, frozen in place and too nervous to move.

"Who?" Kol asked and flipped his head around to see who Caroline was talking about. "Oh, Elena. That must mean my brother and sister are here as well."

"Mmhmm," she swallowed hard. Why was she so nervous all of a sudden? Where was he? Did he return with Elena? Too many questions flooded her mind.

Kol stepped in front of her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "You okay there, Darlin'?" Kol asked in all honesty.

"What?" she asked distracted and continued to peer past Kol.

"Caroline, look at me?" he said and moved his face into her line of vision. When she made eye contact with him, he let out a chuckle and shook his head. She slumped her shoulders and rolled her eyes, attempting to play off the ball of nerves that had settled in her stomach.

Kol reached up and discarded a piece of straw that was dangling in her hair. "There, much better. Wouldn't want you seeing Klaus looking like a wild animal."

"Well, he's spent enough time with you, I thought he'd prefer it."

"There's the little spit fire I've come to admire."

She jabs him with her elbow and let's out a soft giggle only to be frozen and caught off guard again when her eye catches sight of him. "He's here."

"Klaus?" Kol turned back around to see Klaus strolling quickly toward them. Kol greeted him with a wide grin and extended his good arm for a shake. Instead, Kol, once again was peering at his feet as they lifted over his head and he came crashing down on his back. Klaus had socked him. What for? The answer was lost on him.

"What in tarnation do you think you're doin'?" Caroline screeched and raced to Kol's aid. She crouched down behind him and cradled his head in her lap to inspect his face, "You alright?" she asked him.

"I think so," Kol said weakly, giving Klaus a devilish smile when Caroline wasn't looking. "Ouch," he hissed through his teeth when she barely touched the small abrasion above his eyebrow. He was torturing Klaus; milking sympathy from her just to keep him riled up.

"What is wrong with you, Klaus Mikaelson?" Caroline looked up at him with disdain.

He didn't answer. He just stood there with balled fists and a furrowed brow. He wanted to kick the living tar out of Kol. He saw the way he looked at her. How he touched her face. How she reciprocated with her longing looks and sweet smile. It was infuriating.

"Stay right here Kol. I'm gonna go fetch the medical kit from your tent. Perhaps you can talk some sense into your no good brother." She shook her head and glared at him again, then stood up, brushed her skirt off and walked curtly to Kol's tent.

As soon as Caroline was out of sight, Klaus went for Kol again.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Kol interjected and flew to his feet to scurry away. "You got the wrong idea, brother!"

"Shut up, and hold still. Let me beat the snot out of you!"

"Why? So Caroline can just get angrier with you?" Kol began to laugh when he should've been scared shitless, which in turn, continued to make his volcano of emotions erupt all the more. "You're such an idjit," he said, adding insult to injury.

"You got a death wish, don't you little brother?" He took another step toward him.

"Would you just hold it, Klaus. For once in your life, think before you react, you baboon! I don't know what you thought you saw, but you got it all wrong."

"I know what I saw."

"Do you?"

"I know what I saw, Kol!" he repeated. "I've seen you doin' the same thing with other women and Caroline isn't one of your whores!"

"No, she isn't. She's something else entirely," Kol laughs, as if he and Caroline are in on a joke that he's too daft to understand. "Too much for me to handle, that's for sure," he added and winked at Klaus.

Klaus unclenched his fists, the extent of Kol's admiration finally dawning on him. Kol shook his head at him and patted him on the shoulder. "You should probably go talk to her. I think you'll be surprised with what kind of woman she really is."

(***)

Klaus entered the tepee and saw her across the way, flustered and mumbling to herself.

"Stupid man...what's gotten into him...what an idjit..."

"Don't forget hard headed," he added.

She whipped her head around to acknowledge her intruder and let out an exasperated sigh. She knew she was supposed to be furious with him, but seeing him again caused the knots in her stomach to quickly return. So instead of insulting him, she took another approach, "What in the world was that all about?" she asked.

Klaus just shrugged, and took a step toward her. "I've just seen the way Kol has treated women in the past, and I didn't want you-"

He was cut off by an uproar of laughter. Caroline could hardly contain herself, as she doubled over and sat on the bed. "You thought...Kol and I..." her sentences were broken with laughter. "That's the most ridiculous thing...no...never!"

Klaus wasn't a fan of being ridiculed, and Caroline was skirting in the danger zone. "Enough!" he bellowed. "I don't need to stand here and be made a fool!" he raged.

"Why are you yellin' again?" she screamed back, her laughter gone. "There are other ways of communicating besides screamin' at the top of your lungs!" The irony of this comment was not lost on her.

"Well, excuse me, if I ain't the best communicator!"

"You are not excused until you stop shouting," she said in a much calmer and contained voice.

"I-" he started but his doubts crept back in.

"You what?" she urged but he didn't continue, he just stood there like a frightened animal. She shook her head and looked up, pleading with the heavens for a much needed amount of patience for the man in front of her. "I don't have time for this, Klaus, when you have something else to say to me you can come find me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go tend to your brother." She started toward the exit, brushing quickly past him when her hand was caught in his.

The room became a blur as it rushed past her and she was spun around and flung into his arms. His mouth collided with hers and her eyes shot open wide in shock, before she settled into his embrace. She closed her eyes, and wrapping her arms around his neck she pushed forward and kissed him back.

Klaus grabbed ahold of her back, bundling her blouse in his hands and holding on for dear life. He never wanted to let go. He never wanted to feel anything else besides her body pressed up against his, her arms clinging to his neck and her lips hot and fierce against his. Her lips parted, and he pressed through with his tongue. She let out a soft moan when his tongue touched hers, and his mind went blank outside of the way she felt, the way she smelled and the way she matched each movement of his with one of her own.

Caroline wasn't sure what life she was living after Klaus left her when they were small and when they finally reunited again years later, but it wasn't a life, it was only existing. They were meant for each other from the beginning and the way he held her now, the passion that flamed between them was proof of their forever bond. Her head was spinning when he finally pulled away.

She placed a hand on his cheek and kissed him softly again before he stood up straight and swallowed hard. He would not be able to continue without taking her to bed and ravishing her completely, and that was meant for another day. Instead, he held her gaze, grabbed hold of her hand, and lead her out of the tent and out of temptations way.

* * *

**Well, they finally kissed! Yay! Let me know what you thought of the chapter. Once again, I'm a review whore, so the more I get the more excited I'll be to update. **

**Thanks for continuing to read!**


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